‘Facebook rapist’ Thabo Bester found dead in his prison cell

The department of correctional services has on Tuesday confirmed the death of ‘Facebook rapist’ Thabo Bester.

According to spokesperson Singabakho Nxumalo, Bester’s body was discovered with burn wounds in his cell in the early hours of Tuesday morning.

“We have confirmed the untimely passing of an inmate by the name of Thabo Bester at Mangaung Correctional Centre in Bloemfontein. This inmate was doing life imprisonment. He was discovered in his cell at about 3:35 on Tuesday morning. He suffered serious burn wounds,” Nxumalo told Newzroom Afrika on Tuesday evening.

ALSO READ: Rapist, murderer faces trial after six years on the run, thanks to Facebook

The department has launched an investigation into the incident to establish what may have happened.

“This was not a natural death, hence it has to be investigated. That particular correctional facility has an advanced technological system to a point that for anyone to even light a cigarette, they won’t won’t use a matchbox that many use on the streets but have certain devices that they would use, hence it’s important to establish the circumstances under which that fire started and what is it that may have been used. It’s also important to establish when the fire started. This is the only cell that had the fire.”

According to Nxumalo, officials recently visited the facility and found everything, including the fire systems functioning properly.

ALSO READ: Pearl Thusi tried to help ‘Facebook rapist’

Bester was arrested in 2011 facing 30 charges including rape, kidnapping and murder. He used Facebook to lure aspiring models to meet him. He would then abduct and rape them.

He was convicted for the murder of a 23-year-old model as well as several counts of rape and robbery.

He was sentenced to life in prion by the Western Cape High Court in Cape Town.