BLOEMFONTEIN – A 29-year-old man has been arrested for murder after police found him naked in a storm water drainage tunnel under Central Park Complex, holding what appeared to be a human skull.

The arrest occurred yesterday, when police at Thabure-Parkweg station responded to reports of a suspicious individual in the drainage system.

According to a police statement, officers discovered the suspect lying in the stream with a skull in his hands.

Further information was received about an alleged attack that occurred along the stream which led police to conduct a search.

“A huge rock with bone fragments, flesh and brain matter was found on the side of N8 National Road near Nathan Street, Old East End,” the statement read.

“Further search led to the discovery of a beheaded body in the stream not far from where the rock, bone fragment and flesh were found. During his arrest, the suspect uttered to the police that he had to kill the victim to prove that he is ‘the messiah’.”

A murder case was opened with an additional charge of “violation of a corpse” at the Heidedal Police Station.

The 29-year-old suspect will appear in the Bloemfontein Magistrate’s Court soon.