On the night of October 20, 2024, a quiet railway platform in Walsall became the scene of a shocking and brutal crime. Rhiannon Skye Whyte, a 27-year-old hotel worker described by her family as "selfless, brave, quirky, funny," lost her life in a vicious attack that has since gripped the local community and drawn national attention. The alleged perpetrator, Deng Chol Majek, an asylum seeker from Sudan who claims to be 19, now stands trial at Wolverhampton Crown Court, accused of her murder and the possession of an offensive weapon.
According to BBC and Sky News, the events leading up to the attack unfolded at the Park Inn Hotel in Walsall, which was being used to house asylum seekers. Rhiannon Whyte had worked there for about three months, handling cleaning and serving food. Colleagues recalled no serious disputes or incidents involving Majek and Whyte, aside from a minor disagreement about broken biscuits with some residents—nothing, it seemed, that could explain the violence that would follow. Prosecutor Michelle Heeley KC told the court, "No one could recall any particular issue that would have caused him to act in that way."
CCTV footage, presented to the jury, showed Majek lingering in the hotel’s reception area, repeatedly staring at Whyte and the other women she worked with. As her shift ended at 11:00pm, Majek changed into a distinctive jacket and sandals, waiting until Whyte was alone before following her out of the hotel. The prosecution alleges that Majek had been "hanging around waiting for her to leave and waited until she was on her own before he followed her."
Whyte called a friend at 11:04pm as she made her way toward Bescot Stadium railway station. CCTV tracked her progress, with Majek closing the gap between them as she approached the deserted platform. The prosecution says that at 11:13pm, Majek caught up to Whyte. During the phone call, Whyte’s friend heard two screams before the line abruptly went dead at 11:19pm. Prosecutor Heeley described what happened next: "He followed her down onto the train platform at the Bescot Stadium station and then he attacked her. Stabbing her over and over again with a screwdriver."
The attack was described in court as both "vicious and frenzied." Whyte suffered 23 stab wounds, mainly to her head. Eleven of those wounds penetrated her skull, with one damaging her brain stem—a fatal injury. She also had injuries to her chest and arm, indicating she tried desperately to defend herself. The wounds were consistent with a cross-headed screwdriver, though the weapon has never been found.
After the attack, CCTV captured Majek running from the scene with Whyte’s mobile phone in hand. He threw the phone into a nearby river before stopping at a local shop to buy himself a drink. Then, in a scene that has haunted those following the case, he returned to the hotel where he was seen on CCTV "dancing and laughing, clearly excited about what he had done," as described by prosecutor Heeley. The prosecution contends that Majek’s behavior in the aftermath showed no remorse; instead, he appeared animated and pleased, a detail repeated in court by multiple media outlets.
Whyte’s body was discovered slumped on the platform by a train guard at 11:24pm. Despite immediate attempts to save her by the guard and a hotel employee dispatched after Whyte’s friend called the police, her injuries were too severe. Whyte was rushed to hospital but never regained consciousness, passing away three days later on October 23, 2024, surrounded by her family.
Forensic evidence presented in court further implicated Majek. Whyte’s blood was found on his clothes, and her DNA was discovered under his fingernails. The prosecution argues that these details, combined with the CCTV footage and eyewitness accounts, paint a clear picture of guilt. "He left her bleeding to death and then casually went back to his hotel. We say you can be sure he is guilty of murder," Heeley asserted to the jury.
Majek, however, denies both the charge of murder and the charge of possessing a screwdriver as an offensive weapon. His defense has yet to present its case, and as the trial continues—expected to last about three weeks—attention remains focused on the evidence and the testimonies brought before the court.
Throughout the proceedings, the memory of Rhiannon Whyte has loomed large. Her family, in a statement released after her death, described her as someone who "was always there for other people." Friends and colleagues echoed these sentiments, struggling to comprehend how such a senseless act could take place in their midst. The case has also sparked wider conversations about the safety of workers in temporary accommodation settings and the support structures in place for both staff and residents.
The trial, which opened on October 14, 2025, has also drawn attention to the circumstances of asylum seekers in the UK, though prosecutors and witnesses have been careful to stress that there was no prior indication of animosity or conflict between Majek and Whyte. The only incident ever recalled was the aforementioned dispute about broken biscuits, which all agreed was "nothing serious."
As the trial unfolds, jurors are tasked with weighing the harrowing details of the attack against Majek’s plea of innocence. The prosecution’s case rests heavily on the sequence of events reconstructed from CCTV, forensic evidence, and the chilling aftermath, where Majek’s demeanor was described as jubilant rather than remorseful. The defense, for its part, will have to address the overwhelming evidence and offer an explanation for Majek’s actions and behavior on that fateful night.
The community in Walsall, still reeling from the tragedy, continues to watch the proceedings closely. The Park Inn Hotel, once a place of work and temporary refuge, now stands as a somber backdrop to a case that has left many searching for answers. As one chapter closes for the Whyte family, another—seeking justice—unfolds in the courtroom.
With the trial ongoing and Majek maintaining his innocence, the coming weeks will determine whether justice is served for Rhiannon Whyte. For her loved ones and the community she touched, the hope is that the truth, however painful, will bring some measure of closure.
