Emile Cilliers, a former soldier, is serving a life sentence with a minimum term of 18 years for the attempted murder of his wife, Victoria Cilliers. The case is the subject of a three-part true crime docuseries, The Fall: Skydive Murder Plot, now streaming on Netflix, Disney+, and Channel 4.
What Happened to Emile Cilliers?
In April 2015, Victoria Cilliers, an experienced skydiver, survived a 4,000-foot fall after both her main and reserve parachutes failed to open. An investigation revealed that the parachutes had been deliberately tampered with. Police soon suspected her husband, Emile Cilliers, who had been accumulating debt and was having an affair.
Before the parachute incident, Emile had also attempted to kill Victoria by leaving the gas on in their home. Victoria smelled the leak and escaped with their children unharmed.
Trial and Sentencing
Emile Cilliers was charged with attempted murder. His first trial in October 2017 ended with a hung jury. A second trial in May 2018 found him guilty on two counts of attempted murder. He was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 18 years.
During sentencing, Mr Justice Sweeney described Cilliers as possessing "quite exceptional callousness" and stated that the evidence against him was "overwhelming." A Crown Prosecution Service spokesperson said, "The evidence all pointed to Emile Cilliers as the man with the motive and the opportunity to commit these calculated attempts to murder his wife."
Where Is Emile Cilliers Now?
Emile Cilliers is serving his sentence at HM Dovegate Prison in Staffordshire. The docuseries explores his background, including his birth in South Africa, his move to the UK in the early 2000s, and his marriage to Victoria in 2009. It also details his financial troubles and the affair that provided the motive for the crimes.
