Hannah, along with her friend Cheslin Marsh, were abducted by a gang in Stellenbosch, South Africa, in May 2017, which led to Cornelius being raped and murdered.

[3] In the early hours of May 27, 2017, Hannah Cornelius had offered Cheslin Marsh a ride home after a night out with friends.

[5] She was then hauled from the trunk of the vehicle, beaten, stabbed in the neck, and fatally injured when a large 82-pound rock (which had been used to cover a borehole) was lifted and dropped on Cornelius' head twice as she was held down.

[4][6][7][8] Following the murder, the gang pursued further crimes, targeting a woman in Kraaifontein before eventually being apprehended after a police chase upon being spotted in Hannah's car.

While her death was ruled as an accident, Hannah's father, Willem Cornelius, remarked that Anna might not have had the physical or mental strength to cope with the loss of their daughter.

[11] The events leading up to Hannah's death were covered in a documentary released five years after the incident, shedding light on the tragedy.