Free State Stepfather Arrested for Murder of 4-Year-Old Boy Found in Cemetery
- A 24-year-old Free State man faces a murder charge after the body of his four-year-old stepson was discovered at a cemetery in Malebogo township
- Officers who visited the child's home allegedly uncovered bloodstained blankets, curtains, and clothing linked to the deceased boy
- A second Free State arrest involves a 29-year-old man charged with the rape and murder of a seven-year-old girl in Bultfontein
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Source: Getty Images
FREE STATE — A 24-year-old man is set to appear before the Hertzogville Magistrate's Court on Tuesday, 11 August, charged with the murder of his four-year-old stepson, whose body was discovered at the Old Cemetery in Malebogo, a township outside Hertzogville.
According to IOL, Free State police spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Thabo Covane confirmed that officers were dispatched to the scene on Monday, 10 August, following reports of a child's body.
Toddler found wrapped in blankets at cemetery
"The body of a child with severe head injuries was found wrapped in blankets and curtains. Local Criminal Record Centre experts from Welkom were called to process the scene," Covane said.
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A murder case was opened at the Hertzog police station. Investigators subsequently identified the victim as a four-year-old boy from Malebogo and proceeded to his home, where they allegedly recovered bloodstained blankets, curtains, and clothing believed to belong to the deceased child.
The boy's stepfather was later arrested in connection with the killing.
"The police arrested the 24-year-old male, who is the deceased's stepfather, as a suspect," Covane confirmed.
Second child murder arrest in the Free State
In a separate incident, a 29-year-old man was arrested for the alleged rape and murder of a seven-year-old girl in Phahameng, Bultfontein. The child was found beneath a bed inside a shack and was declared dead at the scene. That suspect is also scheduled to appear in court on Tuesday, facing charges of rape and murder.
Body of infant found in New Brighton beach
In related news, members of the public called for the suspect of a murder to be found after emergency management personnel in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, found the dead body of an infant who was murdered on 21 January 2026. A member of the public alerted the South African Police Service (SAPS) after walking on Brighton Beach and making the gruesome discovery. The infant's body was found near the braai area in the bushes. The body had sustained severe injuries and burns.
Alberton parents sentences for killing toddler
Previously, Briefly News reported that justice was finally served for a little girl who died horribly at the hands of her parents as they were handed down life sentences for abuse and murder. The mother was given a life sentence for murder, another life sentence for rape, a decade for abuse of a child and five years for being an accessory to murder. Her father was given life for rape, 10 years for being a murder accessory and another 10 years for abuse.
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Source: Briefly News
