Refrigerated body parts murder suspect undergoing mental evaluation

The case against a Soweto man who allegedly stored the body parts of his female murder victim in his refrigerator has been postponed to 18 March for a complete mental evaluation.

Murder suspect Flavio Hlabangwane was admitted to the Sterkfontein mental institution in mid-January, following an application by the defence team for him to undergo mental observation.

The state did not oppose the application.

The Protea Magistrates court granted the order after hearing evidence that Hlabangwane attempted to take his own life on two occasions since his arrest, after body parts were discovered inside a fridge in his rented back room.

“The court must ascertain that during the commission of the alleged offence, Hlabangwane did not suffer from any mental illness or intellectual disability rendering him incapable of appreciating the wrongfulness of his act that constituted an offence,” said NPA Regional Spokesperson-Gauteng Local Division Phindi Mjonondwane.

“The report will assist the court as it is expected to include a unanimous finding of the accused’s mental condition,” added Mjonondwane.

The court wants to find out whether Hlabangwane has the mental capacity to appreciate the magnitude of his actions when committing the alleged offence.

But in the case where the finding is not unanimous, each specialist (psychiatrist, psychologist) will present their findings on his mental condition.

Hlabangwane’s girlfriend discovered the dismembered parts in his fridge last November.

He’d left the property to go to the shops to buy food and she called for help from neighbours after making the gruesome find

An off-duty police officer staying in Protea Glen had responded to the crime incident and called for backup. 

A human skull was found buried in a shallow grave next to the R558 towards Westonaria a few days later.

The skull discovery has been linked to the body parts discovered in Hlabangwane’s fridge.

Compiled by Narissa Subramoney

NOW READ: Human skull found in shallow grave linked to body parts in Soweto man’s fridge