Emile Cilliers appeared to be the embodiment of charm and success. Born in South Africa in 1983, he grew up in a comfortable middle-class family near Johannesburg. He was charismatic, athletic, and possessed a natural ability to win people over. However, beneath this polished exterior lay a man driven by chronic financial recklessness and a complete lack of empathy for those closest to him. His pattern of deception began early. After fathering two children with his first serious partner, Nicoleen, he struggled with money, often spending his earnings on himself rather than essentials. Seeking a fresh start, he moved to the United Kingdom, where he eventually joined the army. While still technically engaged to Nicoleen back home, he secretly married another woman, Carly, with whom he had two more children. Despite maintaining a seemingly successful lifestyle with a house and a car, Emile’s financial problems persisted. He was a habitual overspender, pouring money into expensive hobbies like golf and skiing, often borrowing from friends and failing to pay them back. This cycle of debt and infidelity continued when he met Victoria, a physiotherapist and highly experienced skydiver with over 2,500 jumps to her name. In 2011, Emile married Victoria, and the couple had two children. However, Emile was far from a faithful or responsible husband. He maintained multiple affairs, including one with a woman he met on a dating app and another with his ex-wife. By 2015, his debts had spiraled to approximately £24,000. Desperate and seeing his wife as a financial resource rather than a partner, he decided to take lethal action to solve his problems. The first attempt on Victoria's life occurred in March 2015, when Emile damaged the gas pipes in their family home while Victoria was alone with the children. Fortunately, she noticed the smell of gas and averted a disaster. Unfazed by this failure, Emile orchestrated a more elaborate plan under the guise of a romantic gesture. He suggested Victoria go for a parachute jump, knowing she had been eager to return to her passion after her recent pregnancy. On April 5, 2015, Victoria jumped from a height of 1,200 meters. Unknown to her, Emile had tampered with her equipment, removing vital components to ensure the parachute would not open. In a terrifying descent, both her main and reserve parachutes failed. Miraculously, Victoria survived the fall. Her years of experience allowed her to position her body to maximize her chances, and she landed on a soft, freshly plowed field. Though she suffered severe fractures, she survived a fall that should have been fatal. The subsequent investigation quickly uncovered the truth. Authorities found evidence of the tampered parachute and discovered that Emile had recently increased Victoria’s life insurance policy to £120,000. In 2018, he was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum of 18 years before being eligible for parole. Despite the horrific nature of his crimes, Victoria initially struggled to accept her husband's betrayal, even visiting him in prison for a time. Eventually, she realized the depth of his manipulation and moved forward with a divorce. Today, Victoria has rebuilt her life with a new partner, while Emile remains behind bars. Chillingly, he reportedly continues to receive numerous letters from women enamored by his persona—a testament to the deceptive charm that nearly cost a mother her life. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/missing-pieces--6886558/support.
