Cape Town - Officials on Monday confirmed they are investigating the death of a Spanish dentist accused of murdering his twin children in 2017.
Earlier, Correctional Services officials confirmed to IOL that Mario Ceazar Deus Yela had died while in custody at Pollsmoor Prison.
According to spokesperson Singabakho Nxumalo, the Spanish national was found dead in his cell during unlock on Monday morning.
"As a remand detainee, the South African Police Service (SAPS) was alerted and they will have to inform the family of the deceased," Nxumalo said.
He added that preliminary reports (although not conclusive) indicated that Yela may have overdosed on medication, leading the department to suspect suicide as the cause of death.
Western Cape police confirmed that a death inquest has been opened into Yela's death.
"A post-mortem with be conducted to determine the cause of death," Western Cape police spokesperson Sergeant Noloyiso Rwexana said.
Nxumalo added that the department had also started an investigation into the incident.
Yela was arrested in Wynberg after police were called to his holiday apartment in Hout Bay on April 6 after his former wife, Julia Engelhorn, found the lifeless bodies of their three-year-old twins Maximo and Octavia.
According to reports, Yela invited Engelhorn over for lunch and allegedly told her he killed the twins. After finding the bodies of the twins, she fled to find help.
Yela then allegedly fled in Engelhorn’s car but police later tracked him down and arrested him.