Police opened an inquest docket. File picture: Leon Lestrade/Independent Newspapers
The boyfriend of a woman who was found murdered in a home was found hanging at a factory site in Harrismith, Free State police said on Friday.
Police said an inquest docket was opened after the discovery on Wednesday.
The provincial police spokesperson, Warrant Officer Mmako Mophiring said the woman’s body was discovered inside her house in Tshiame B near Harrismith on Monday.
The deceased woman, Puseletso Paulinah Motsimo, 44, was living with her boyfriend at the time of her death.
“On January 17, at about 5.35pm the police found a man's body hanging from a tree's branch in the industrial area of Harrismith with no injuries sustained,” Mophiring said.
“It was established that the deceased person is the boyfriend of Puseletso Paulinah Motsimo whose body was found inside her home.”
Motsimo’s body was found by her brother.
Police said the information they received was that Motsimo’s brother had been searching for her and went to her house on January 15.
“When he arrived at her house, he suspected that something was wrong and he called the police,” Mophiring said.
“On the police's arrival, they forced the door open and found her body lying in a pool of blood. Her swollen face indicated that she had been severely assaulted. She was staying with her boyfriend, who was nowhere to be found.”
It is unclear whether police suspected the boyfriend in Motsimo’s murder.
Police said the name of the boyfriend will only be released once his next of kin has been notified.
“An inquest case was opened,” Mophiring said.
robin.francke@inl.co.za
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