Fugitive Thabo Bester will have a murder charge to answer to after police on Wednesday confirmed that they are investigating murder following the discovery of a burnt corpse in his prison cell in May 2022.

Police said foul play was suspected in the unidentified person's death as the person died of head trauma before the arson took place.

It was recently discovered that Bester, dubbed the Facebook Rapist, had plotted an escape from the Mangaung Prison when it had been believed he died from a fire in his cell.

An autopsy report revealed that the person found in the cell died as a result of blunt force trauma to the head. This means the person had already died before the fire happened, said police spokesperson Brig Athlenda Mathe.

National police commissioner Gen Fannie Masemola has ordered the prioritisation of investigations into Bester’s escape, she said.

“A case of escape from lawful custody was also registered on confirmation by the department of correctional services (DCS) that Thabo Bester was not in their custody. The likelihood of more charges being added cannot be ruled out,” Mathe said.

The investigation includes detectives from the family violence, child protection and sexual offences (FCS) and the organised crime intelligence (OCI) units in the Free State and Gauteng who have been working around the clock.

Masemola appealed to the public for patience and to allow detectives to conduct a thorough investigation, as the case is sensitive.

He said the leaking of sensitive information to the media was being investigated.

“Placing undue pressure on the investigators and demanding blow-by-blow updates at this stage has the potential to jeopardise the investigation. To this end, a manhunt has been launched for all people of interest in this case. No further information will be provided at this stage,” Masemola said.

Meanwhile, TimesLIVE's sister publication, SowetanLIVE reported how hours before the fire broke out, a wooden kist believed to have been carrying the body of the John Doe was driven into the facility.

Three sources told Sowetan that a bakkie pulled up with furniture and a senior official demanded it be checked. However, a commotion broke out in another part of the prison and the senior official left to attend to the matter, leaving the furniture unchecked. 

The vehicle somehow made its way into the facility and another source said prison staff were instructed by their seniors to collect a faulty kist and take it in for repairs at the workshop.

In the early hours the next day, a fire broke out in Bester’s cell and the department of correctional services later announced that Bester died in the fire.

TimesLIVE