DJ Warras Murder: Hitman Joaquim Pacula Sentenced to 25 Years
A 25 year old Mozambican national who admitted to carrying out the contract killing of Johannesburg DJ Warrick “DJ Warras” Stock has been sentenced to 25 years in prison.
Joaquim Armando Pacula was sentenced by the Gauteng Division of the High Court in Johannesburg after pleading guilty to murder and related offences stemming from Stock’s fatal shooting.
Pacula admitted that he was hired to assassinate Stock and was promised R25,000 for the killing.
The sentence brings a measure of closure to Stock’s family, but the wider investigation into those allegedly connected to the killing remains ongoing.
Pacula pleads guilty to murder and firearm charges
Pacula entered into a plea and sentence agreement with the State in terms of Section 105A of the Criminal Procedure Act.
The agreement was concluded following consultation with Stock’s family.
In terms of the agreement, Pacula pleaded guilty to four charges:
- Murder
- Unlawful possession of a firearm
- Unlawful possession of ammunition
- Contravening the Immigration Act
The court imposed the following sentences:
- Murder: 25 years’ imprisonment
- Unlawful possession of a firearm: Eight years’ imprisonment
- Unlawful possession of ammunition: Six months’ imprisonment
- Contravening the Immigration Act: 12 months’ imprisonment
The court ordered the sentences to run concurrently, meaning Pacula will serve an effective 25 year prison sentence.
DJ Warras was shot outside Johannesburg building
The charges relate to the fatal shooting of Stock on 16 December 2025 outside the Zambesi Building in Johannesburg’s central business district.
According to Pacula’s plea agreement, he was recruited to carry out the killing in exchange for R25,000.
His admission provides a significant development in the investigation into Stock’s death, but prosecutors have stressed that the case does not end with Pacula’s conviction.
The National Prosecuting Authority said investigations into other people allegedly linked to the killing remain active.
Co accused case still before court
Pacula’s conviction was secured through plea proceedings, while the case involving his co accused, Victor Majola, is continuing.
Majola’s matter has been postponed to 17 August 2026 for the conclusion of the pre trial conference.
The continued prosecution means investigators and prosecutors are still working to establish the full circumstances surrounding Stock’s killing and the possible involvement of others.
NPA vows to pursue those behind contract killings
Magaboke Mohlatlole, communications officer for the NPA’s Gauteng Division in Johannesburg, said the successful prosecution demonstrated the State’s commitment to confronting organised and violent crime.
“This successful prosecution reflects the NPA’s continued determination to combat organised and violent crime, including contract killings,” Mohlatlole said.
The NPA, he added, would continue pursuing those involved in such offences and working to ensure that victims and their families receive justice.
Pacula’s 25 year sentence therefore marks an important step in the DJ Warras murder investigation, but with proceedings against his co accused still under way, questions surrounding the broader network behind the killing remain before the courts.
