The man whose body was found encased in concrete in a dustbin in Boksburg over the weekend has been identified, the East Rand police said on Wednesday. Superintendent Andy Pieke said the man was Gisli Thorkellson (54) from Iceland. He had been living in South Africa since 1994.
Pieke said police contacted Thorkellson’s sister, who contacted other family members in Iceland. Thorkellson was eventually identified by a South African friend.
Due to the state of decomposition, police had suspected that it would take much longer to identify the body, Pieke said.
Thorkellson was self-employed at the time of his death and he was also single.
A post mortem to determine the cause of death will be held on Thursday.
Thorkellson was found encased in concrete, with only his feet and part of his legs sticking out.
A Boksburg resident found the body when he forced open a dustbin left behind by a former lodger.
The lodger, a 28-year-old man, was subsequently arrested in Kempton Park, as well as a 43-year-old woman. It is believed that the two suspects knew Thorkellson, said Pieke.
Both are due to appear in the Boksburg Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday. – Sapa