Family of Woman Whose Decomposing Body Was Found in Boyfriend’s Ceiling Calls for Justice

• Police have identified the woman whose body was found in her boyfriend’s ceiling as Nosipho Caroline Mthombeni
• The 34-year-old’s family described the victim as a “sweet girl” and is calling for justice to prevail
• Police in Mpumalanga are still searching for the victim’s boyfriend and are investigating a case of murder following the discovery

MPUMALANGA - The family of the woman whose badly decomposed body was found in the ceiling of her boyfriend’s house described her as a “sweet girl”. Police have identified 34-year-old Nosipho Caroline Mthombeni as the woman who was discovered on Wednesday, 5 October.

The man believed to be the woman’s killer is on the run after Mthombeni’s family members confronted him while she was missing. Speaking to TimesLIVE, the victim’s aunt Nomvula Maya said the boyfriend said he did not know where Mthombeni was despite an odour in his house.

Read also

Cape Town man who tried to save 18-year-old who was hit by car says victim was helpless while others took pics

The victims’ friends had not seen nor contacted her for two months. However, Maya said the family had not taken it seriously. When she confronted the man, he said that Mthombeni had moved to Secunda for work, and he allegedly disappeared days later.

Mthombeni’s family and boyfriend’s other partner, who had recently moved into the house, reported the situation to the police. Police Spokesperson Brigadier Selvy Mohlala told News24 that police began to check the house to determine where the odour was coming from.

When they broke the ceiling, they discovered the human body wrapped in clothes. The body was allegedly in an advanced stage of decomposition, and the gender was not immediately identifiable.

Speaking exclusively to Briefly News, the Unit for Religion and Development Research’s Dr Elisabet le Roux highlighted some red flags that one should be wary of when entering relationships.

Read also

Collen Mashawana helps 100-year-old gogo who allegedly got evicted from home in Soweto: SA applauds kindness

She said typical danger signs within intimate partner relationships include, but are not limited to:

• Isolating you from your friends and family
• Controlling behaviours (e.g. where you go, who you spend time with, how you spend your money, what you wear, etc)
• Pressure to have sex, use drugs or alcohol
• Violent or angry uncontrolled outbursts
• Persistent jealousy and distrust
• Insults, harsh criticism, or degrading comments, especially in front of others

Meanwhile, a social worker at a non-profit organisation, Turning Point, Orienda Pepu, said:

“If you do find yourself in an abusive relationship it may be hard to accept that now it is abusive because often at the early stages there’s a honeymoon phase. Sometimes it can take time for that for some people to accept that they are being abused regardless of if it is on an emotional or financial level."

"Please seek help when you see the warning signs. Shying away and making excuses can be detrimental. it’s not your fault that you are being abused the person who needs to take the shame and guilt is the abuser,” said Pepu.

Read also

Kimberly woman violated and set alight, citizens outraged and call for action

Police are investigating a murder case following the harrowing discovery. Maya said the family was not allowed to see the body. Anyone who has information about the man’s whereabouts or who can assist police in their investigation can contact Detective Sergeant Moeketsi Mofokeng on 072 351 3801, or call Crime Stop on 08600 10111.

Citizens react to the murder:

@ThaCido88 said:

“This is sick.”

@nonentitee_ commented:

“This is beyond evil.”

@matinhamatinha added:

“This is a horrific story.”

Decomposing body found in ceiling, police launch manhunt to find the person responsible

In a related matter, Briefly News also reported police are hunting for a man after a decomposing body was discovered in the ceiling of his home in Mpumalanga.

Thabo Silas Tsotesti claimed the strong smell of decomposition was from dead rats when quizzed by his partner. However neighbour alerted the police when the stench became overbearing.

Read also

21-year-old man arrested after police find 6 dead bodies in Johannesburg building

According to News24, police initially struggled to find the source of the smell, but they continued to investigate until they entered the room the smell was emanating from.

Source: Briefly News