FREE STATE — Detectives in Selosesha have welcomed a hefty life sentence handed down to a 26-year-old Thaba Nchu man for the brutal murder of his six-year-old stepson.
Lebohang “Lefty” Keoreng received the severe penalty from the Bloemfontein High Court, which was sitting in Selosesha, after being found guilty of the child’s murder.
The fatal incident unfolded on Tuesday, 7 January 2025, at approximately 18:30 in Zone 4, Thaba Nchu. According to case details, Keoreng arrived at the residence of the victim’s aunt, demanding to see his girlfriend. When the aunt informed him that she was not home, Keoreng asked to take his six-year-old stepson, Ogone Patrick Mpuru, under the pretext of going to look for the child’s mother.
Shortly after the pair left, neighbors hysterically called out to the aunt. They had spotted the 26-year-old suspect running toward the residence with the child in pursuit. Tragically, the young boy collapsed before he could reach his aunt, suffering from severe, heavily bleeding injuries.
Enraged by the sight, community members chased down and apprehended Keoreng, severely assaulting him before law enforcement arrived. Officers from the Selosesha police station responded swiftly to the murder reports, intervening to rescue the suspect from the angry mob. Keoreng was immediately transported to a nearby hospital for medical treatment.
Despite the rapid response from Emergency Medical Services (EMS) and police, the six-year-old victim was certified dead at the scene. Investigators later searched Keoreng’s residence and successfully recovered a knife, which was identified as the murder weapon.