# Police Manhunt Launched After Two Women Found Murdered in Theunissen Authorities investigate separate killings of two women discovered in abandoned buildings over the weekend. - **Source:** [IOL News](https://www.iol.co.za/news) - **Published:** 2026-11-09 - **Topic:** [world](https://brifing.si/c/world) - **Original article:** - **On Brifing:** https://brifing.si/s/1729bd58-eb4a-4653-a39e-354a3ae14fcf ## Discovery of Two Victims South African Police Service officials in the Free State have launched a manhunt following the discovery of two women in Theunissen. The victims were found in separate abandoned buildings over the weekend. Lieutenant-Colonel Thabo Covane confirmed that investigations are currently underway to identify the suspects responsible for these brutal acts. ## First Victim Identified The first victim, 32-year-old Nthabiseng Moiloa, was discovered on Saturday at a site on Le Roux Street. A neighbourhood watch member alerted authorities to the abandoned building. Emergency personnel declared her dead at the scene, noting multiple stab wounds and severe injuries to her head and stomach area. ## Second Victim Found On Sunday, children playing near a day care centre in Masilo discovered the second victim, 25-year-old Kedibone Hlabahlaba. Her body was found inside a toilet within an abandoned building. Police reported that the victim was half-naked and had sustained serious head injuries, with the body already in a decomposed state. ## Investigation and Task Team Provincial Commissioner Lieutenant-General Thabang Solomon Lesia has established a multidisciplinary task team to handle the case. This unit is led by the Provincial Serious and Violent Crime Unit. Authorities are currently working to determine if the two murders are linked, though the motive for both remains entirely unclear. ## Potential Sexual Assault Police are not ruling out the possibility that the first victim, Nthabiseng Moiloa, was sexually assaulted during the attack. Both women were found in a half-naked state, which has prompted investigators to include sexual violence as a line of inquiry. Forensic evidence is being processed to confirm these specific details. ## Conflicting Age Reports While initial reports identified the first victim as 32 years old, subsequent information provided by police spokesperson Thabo Covane suggested she may have been 35. These discrepancies highlight the ongoing nature of the investigation as police work to verify victim identities and gather concrete evidence from the two separate scenes. ## 16 Days of Activism These murders occurred just as the Free State police prepare to launch the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence and Femicide in the Lejeweleputswa District. The timing of these crimes has intensified the police commitment to apprehending the perpetrators and addressing the rising concerns regarding violence against women locally. ## Call for Public Assistance The SAPS has urged anyone with information to contact Task Team Commander Lieutenant-Colonel Jame Mahlatsi at 073 463 8990 or the Crime Stop line at 08600 10111. Anonymous tips can also be submitted via the MySAPS App. All information provided to these channels will be treated with strict confidentiality by investigators. ## Sources covering this story - [IOL News — SAPS Launches Manhunt After Two Women Found Dead in Theunissen](https://iol.co.za/news/crime-and-courts/2026-11-09-saps-launches-manhunt-after-two-women-found-dead-in-abandoned-buildings-in-theunissen/) - [eNCA — Police Launch Manhunt Following Double Murder in Theunissen](https://www.enca.com/news-top-stories/police-probe-two-brutal-murders-after-bodies-found-abandoned-buildings) --- _Summary written by Brifing from the original reporting. Copyright in the original article belongs to its publisher; read the full piece at the link above._