Durban - The Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) has launched an investigation into the suicide of one of the men arrested in connection with the murder of five women on the KZN south coast.
The man was found hanging in his prison cell in Scottburg on Monday morning just hours after he allegedly confessed to the crime and was due to appear in court.
News of his death has rattled the Mthwalume community who told the Daily News that the timing of his death was very suspicious, as it leaves them with more questions than answers.
Ndileka Cola, the spokesperson for Ipid said the suspect had hung himself with a string from his track pants.
“Yesterday, (Sunday) he was booked out for confession procedure, the normal process of having a suspect medically checked before and after the was undertaken,” Cola said.
“The deceased was returned into the cell just after midnight, as the night shift was handing over to the day shift, the deceased was found hanging in the shower head. The paramedics and later the pathologist declared him dead on the scene”.
The man was arrested with an accomplice on Friday for the alleged murders of five women who were found in a sugar cane field and a nearby bus on the KZN south coast.
One of the two South Coast men suspected of killing five women in the Mthwalume area was found hanging in the police holding cells on Monday morning.
The two were arrested on Friday in connection with the gruesome murder of the women and dumping their bodies in a sugarcane field and a nearby bush between April and August.
The last two of the five bodies were found last week.
Area community policing forum chairperson Lucky Bhuyeni said they were shocked to hear that the man was found hanging in the police cells on Monday morning.
He said on Saturday the surviving suspect had tried to kill himself by swallowing crushed bottles but was rushed to the hospital.
“He survived and a suicide note was found. He was apologising for what he has done and gave other details which cannot be divulged at this stage,” he said.
He said as community leaders they will be meeting with the police management for a briefing on these developments.
Daily News