Durban - The Siam Lee murder matter is expected to be struck off the court roll at the Durban High Court on Tuesday.
Murder-accused Philani Ntuli, 30, reportedly died on June 21.
Private Investigator Brad Nathanson said Ntuli had been diagnosed with skin cancer and was undergoing treatment.
But by Friday last week, police were still unable to confirm conclusively if Ntuli was dead or alive.
“We can confirm that we are following up the allegations of his death,” police spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Thulani Zwane told the Independent On Saturday.
The issue about whether Ntuli is dead or alive is expected to be addressed in court.
The Sunday Times reported that Ntuli was set to be buried in Sobantu, Pietermaritzburg, on Sunday.
His pre-trial conference was set down for July 29.
He faced a total of eight charges ranging from murder to rape and had been out on R40 000 bail. The matter was brought forward due to Ntuli's death.
Private Investigator Brad Nathanson said Ntuli had been diagnosed with skin cancer and was undergoing treatment.
Lee, 20, was reported missing from a home in Durban North believed to be a brothel in January 2018. Two days later her charred body was found in a sugarcane field in New Hanover near Pietermaritzburg.
Sue Foster, a close friend of Lee’s mother Nan, told the Sunday Tribune, Ntuli got the “easy way out” and she wept for her “darling Siam”.
“No bloody justice for Siam. I’m in tears. How can such a cruel monster get off so easily? I am disappointed that we did not get to see the court process unfold and get closure,” she said.