Police in South Africa are on the hunt for a convicted rapist they say faked his own death in a fire before escaping lockup.
Branded the “Facebook Rapist,” Thabo Bester was serving a life sentence for allegedly luring victims on the social media platform before raping and robbing them. At least one victim was killed.
In 2012, he was sentenced to life in prison for rape, robbery and murder.In May of 2022, authorities believed Bester died after setting himself on fire in his private cell of the Mangaung Correctional Centre in Bloemfontein, South Africa
“He was discovered at about 03:35 (Tuesday) morning, where his cell was burnt, he was found on the floor,” a Department of Correctional Services spokesperson said, as reported by the BBC at the time.
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WORLD
‘Facebook Rapist’ convict faked his death and escaped prison, police say
By Michelle Butterfield Global News
Posted March 28, 2023 4:40 pm
Detective Warrant Officer Shane Naidoo leads Thabo Bester out of the holding cells at the Durban Magistrates Court on October 12, 2011 in Durban, South Africa.
Detective officer Shane Naidoo leads Thabo Bester out of the detention cells at Durban Magistrates Court on October 12, 2011 in Durban, South Africa. City Press/Gallo Images via Getty Images
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Police in South Africa are searching for a convicted rapist who they say faked his death in a fire before escaping from prison.
Dubbed the "Facebook rapist", Thabo Bester was serving a life sentence for seducing victims on the social media platform before raping and robbing them. At least one victim was killed.
In 2012, he was sentenced to life imprisonment for rape, robbery and murder.
Read more: Man claims he lost 30 pounds in 36 days by just eating McDonald's
In May of 2022, Bester was believed by authorities to have died after setting himself on fire in his own cell at the Mangaung Correctional Center in Bloemfontein, South Africa.
"It was discovered at around 03:35 (Tuesday) am, that his cell had been burned, and he was found on the floor," a Department of Corrections spokesperson said, as reported by the BBC at the time.
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However, the theory has now changed, and over the weekend police revealed that an autopsy and DNA tests showed the charred remains belonged to someone else and that they believed that person had died as a result of blunt force trauma to the head before being set on fire.
"Our priority at this point is to find this fugitive from justice and determine exactly how he faked his death," police spokeswoman Athlinda Matthey told AFP on Monday, confirming the opening of a new murder investigation.
Police did not say if they knew the identity of the remains or how the person might be connected to the prison, and the Department of Justice and Corrections said in a statement that it appealed for any information leading to Bester's arrest.
"We will leave no stone unturned to get to the bottom of Thabo Bester's escape, and there will be severe consequences for any party involved," the ministry said. Ground-Up enforcer, whose investigation found his escape may have been assisted by private prison guards. Since then, images have emerged apparently showing Bester's grocery shopping in Johannesburg and Al Jazeera reporting that a number of women have come forward, claiming that the convict had communicated with them using social media.
There were also allegations that Bester was running a fraudulent media company from behind bars, with local news agency News24 reporting that Bester had posed as the head of 21st Century Media, a supposed subsidiary of US 21st Century Fox, and even talked about the company's event from prison while he was Pretend to be in New York.
The Bester jailbreak has revamped the jailbreak, which is a public-private partnership and operated by a private company, G4S.
The South African Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union on Tuesday called on the Department of Correctional Services to cancel G4S's 25-year prison contract. He wants the government to cancel prison contracts and seize the facilities.