The Police in South Africa are looking for unknown thieves who went away with the human skeletal remains from a state mortuary in Standerton in Mpumalanga on Sunday.

According to the Mpumalanga Police Spokesperson Brigade Leonard Hlathi, the skeletal remains are the subject of a police investigation into the murder of a 62-year-old police officer who was reported missing by his family members in October 2020.

“The police conducted the search for the victim without any success until March 12,” said Hlathi.

In the twist of events, a man identified as Sanele Msimang handed himself to the police informing them that he killed the victim who was his employer at Standerton last year and buried his remains in a shallow grave, Hlathi confirmed.

Msimang aged 26 years, has so far been charged with murder after he appeared before the Standerton Magistrate Court on Monday 18.

However, as the police were busy investigating the murder case, they received a disturbing call from the Standerton Mortuary reporting that the recovered skeletal remains were missing.

Following the development, Hlathi has confirmed that a case of theft has been opened with an additional case of defeating the ends of justice.

Meanwhile, the Mpumalanga Police has pleaded with the general public with information leading to the arrest of the perpetrators to come forward.