Body found in pit toilet linked to 2023 missing persons case

Police in the Free State have been led to the place where the body of a woman was allegedly dumped almost two years ago.

A suspect in the investigation into the disappearance of a 19-year-old female divulged the information while being interrogated this week.

The woman was last seen by her family in July 2023; however, a missing person’s report was only filed with the police in October of that year.

Bones found in pit toilet

The suspect is one of four men linked to the disappearance of Puleng Motlodi, who was last seen in Zone 3 in Selosesha, east of Bloemfontein, in 2023.

Following up on information on the suspect, police grilled the man on Monday, after which he agreed to point out a spot where he believed her body was dumped.

K9 units, criminal record centre experts, and investigating officers were led to Selosesha’s Zone 5, where they were asked to dismantle a pit latrine.

“A search inside the sewage led to the discovery of a black windbreaker, a jersey and female underwear,” stated Free State police spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Thabo Covane.

“The police also discovered limb bones and a human skull and collected the remains for further examination,” Covane added.

Kidnapping and murder

The 36-year-old suspect has been arrested, and the arrest of two of the other three men is expected soon.

The fourth suspect, a 40-year-old, is already in a correctional facility after being charged with business burglary while out on parole for robbery.

During this week’s interrogation, the suspect revealed to officers the circumstances that led to allegedly led to Motlodi’s death.

The suspect told officers how he and two others were convinced by the 40-year-old to kidnap the young woman.

Following the kidnapping, the men became intoxicated and, in a fit of rage, the 40-year-old allegedly strangled the woman to death.

“He then, with the help of the suspect, dumped the lifeless body of the victim in a pit toilet,” stated Covane.

The missing persons file has since been changed to a kidnapping and murder case.

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