British tourist, 71, ‘killed for her body parts to be used in witchcraft’
A British tourist was killed while holidaying in South Africa so her body could be used in a witchcraft ritual, investigators believe.
Lorna McSorley and her partner Leon Probert arrived in the country for a two-week visit, including two days at the famous Kruger National Park, last September.
The couple from Devon were on a Tui package deal and checked into the Ghost Mountain Inn on September 27.
CCTV footage taken that day shows the pair stepped out at 2.30pm for a walk to take in the local scenery and wildlife.
However just 30 minutes into the excursion, Mr Probert decided to turn back, leaving his partner with the A4 map plotting a three-mile circular trip to a lake.
Sign up for all of the latest stories
Start your day informed with Metro's News Updates newsletter or get Breaking News alerts the moment it happens.
(Picture: Ghost Mountain Inn)
To this day, the map is the only thing found of Ms McSorley since she never returned from the walk.
Her last sighting was by local farm Koos Prinsloo, who said the pensioner looked ‘relaxed’ when she asked him for directions and pointed at her map to show she had veered well off her planned route.
Mr Pinsloo told the Times that Ms McSorley had refused a lift home and so he had returned to his lunch.
Mr Probert sounded the alarm at 5.30pm when there was no sign of the 71-year-old, 90 minutes after she should have completed her excursion.
A search operation saw farmers, volunteers, dogs, boats and drones used to locate Ms McSorley, but no trace of her was found.
Now detectives believe that the pensioner could have been killed for a traditional witchcraft practice known locally as Muti.
Deriving from the Zulu word Umuthi, Muti is a medicine made from plants and various other natural products.
Practiced especially in South Africa’s northern regions, such as KwaZulu-Natal, medicine is prescribed by inyangas or ‘healers’ and can include human parts, taken by so called ‘Muti killings’.
Body parts are not typically hunted by healers themselves, but through a network of scouts.
However South Africa’s traditional Muti associations have condemned the use of human parts, saying it goes against accepted beliefs.
Among towns with a Muti market is Mkuze, which was near where Ms McSorley and Mr Probert were both staying before her disappearance.
According to several locals, Muti is seen as one of the area’s largest risks with dozens including children believed to have vanished due to the practice.
Geoff Sheward, Ms McSorley’s elder brother, said that a Muti killing was the ‘worst’ thing imaginable that could have happened to her and added she must have been ‘frightened to death’.
Mr Probert, 81, says he feels guilty for leaving his partner during the walk.
He said: ‘I have a guilt that, if I hadn’t returned to the hotel and stayed [on the walk] with her, the chances are that nothing would have happened.
The retired logistics worker added that the fact Ms McSorley’s body had never been recovered pointed to her being abducted for her body parts.
Ms McSorley was also carrying a bank card on her which was never used.
The search for her was paused on October 4, while other leads were followed by investigators.
KwaZulu-Natal police said it was unable to comment on private investigations.
The Ghost Mountain Inn said that the safety of its guests was its ‘highest priority’ and that many visitors undertook the walk to the lake, either with a guide or unaccompanied.
A spokesperson for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) said: ‘We are supporting the family of a British woman who is reported missing in South Africa and are in contact with the local authorities.’
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
For more stories like this, check our news page.