Man convicted of murdering Walsall hotel worker on train station platform

A man has been convicted of murdering a hotel worker after he followed her to a railway station and stabbed her multiple times with a screwdriver.

Killer Deng Chol Majek, 19, singled out 27-year-old Rhiannon Whyte who had been working at a hotel housing asylum seekers in Walsall where he had been staying.

He brutally attacked her on the empty platform, lashing out at Ms Whyte on 20 October 2024 just after 11pm. Ms Whyte had just finished her shift at the Park Inn by Radisson Hotel before walking to Bescot Stadium railway station.

A friend, who Ms Whyte had been on the phone to, heard the frenzied attack. Ms Whyte had been stabbed 23 times to the head and left side of her chest and arm.

She never recovered consciousness and died in hospital on 23 October 2024.

Today Chol Majek was convicted of murder and having an offensive weapon following a trial which began on 13 October 2025 at Wolverhampton Crown Court.

Carla Harris, from the Crown Prosecution Service, said: “Rhiannon Whyte should have been able to go to work and come home safely – but Deng Chol Majek robbed her of her life and future.

“He attacked her for no reason, and callously left her bleeding on a station platform. He then appeared to rejoice in his actions, having been caught laughing and dancing on footage an hour later.

“Although the stabbing itself was not captured on CCTV, the prosecution case against Chol Majek included DNA evidence, witness testimony and CCTV showing him stalking Rhiannon to the station and returning to the hotel in his distinctive bloodied clothing. He was also the only person to enter and leave the platform during the time of the attack. All of this allowed the jury to convict him of his crimes.

“Although nothing can bring Rhiannon back, I hope these convictions provide some sense of justice to her family and friends. The CPS is determined to bring violent offenders to justice wherever there is the evidence to do so.”

Building the case

Working closely with the British Transport Police, prosecutors within the Crown Court unit at CPS West Midlands built a clear timeline of Chol Majek’s actions before and after the murder.

CCTV from inside the hotel showed that Chol Majek was hanging around the reception area of the hotel, clearly staring at Ms Whyte throughout the evening. It is the prosecution case that he had singled her out for some unknown reason.

When she left at the end of her shift, Chol Majek was seen on CCTV following her to the station, closing the gap between them until they were the only ones on the station platform.

Although there is no footage of the incident, using the witness testimony from the phone call Ms Whyte had been on with her friend, and the time she entered the station, prosecutors were able to piece together exactly when she was attacked.

Footage also showed Chol Majek running away from the scene with a phone which was later found thrown in a river and belonged to Ms Whyte. He had also discarded the murder weapon – which has never been found.

Forensic analysis of Chol Majek’s clothing revealed that items had Ms Whyte’s blood on them. Her DNA was also found under Chol Majek’s fingernails.

As a result of all these different strands of evidence the jury was able to convict Chol Majek of his crimes.

He will be sentenced at a later date.