Ex-Boyfriend Accused of Killing Olympic Marathon Runner Rebecca Cheptegei in Gasoline Attack Dies of His Own Burns

Dickson Ndiema, the ex-boyfriend of Olympic marathon Rebecca Cheptegei, has reportedly died from the burns he sustained on his own body while setting the Ugandan athlete on fire.

via People:

Dickson Ndiema, died on the evening of Monday, Sept. 9, multliple outlets including BBC News and NBC News reported on Tuesday, Sept. 10.

Ndiema had been admitted to Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH) in the town of Eldoret after suffering more than 30 percent burns to his body in the incident, the BBC added.

Distance runner Cheptegei, 33 — who competed at the 2024 Paris Olympics — suffered burns to almost 80 percent of her body in the same attack in Trans Nzoia County in western Kenya on Sunday, Sept. 1. 

She died from “full organ failure” at around 5 a.m. local time on Thursday, Sept. 5, PEOPLE previously reported.

“It’s true he has died from the [burn] injuries,” Dr. Owen Menach, who is the Director of Clinical Services and Surgery at the hospital, told the BBC. Local outlets the Daily Nation and The Standard also confirmed the news.

MTRH didn’t immediately respond after being contacted by PEOPLE.

Per the Daily Nation, Cheptegei is set to be buried on Saturday, Sept. 14 at her ancestral home in Kapkoros, Bukwo District in Uganda.

The attack reportedly happened during a dispute between Cheptegei and Ndiema over the land her home was built on, per a report filed by the local police obtained by the Associated Press.

“The couple were heard quarreling outside their house,” Trans Nzoia County Police Commander, Jeremiah ole Kosiom, previously said, per the BBC. “During the altercation, the boyfriend was seen pouring a liquid on the woman before burning her.”

After the attack, Cheptegei’s neighbor, Agnes Barabara, said, according to the BBC, “I was in the house and heard people screaming ‘fire.’ ”

“When I came out, I saw Rebecca running towards my house on fire, shouting, ‘Help me,’ ” Barabara added.

“As I went to look for water and started calling out for help, her assailant appeared again and doused more petrol (gasoline) on her,” she continued. “But then he too got burned and he ran off towards the garden to try to put it out. We then went to help Rebecca.”

Cheptegei finished in 44th place in the marathon at the 2024 Paris Olympics in August. She’d previously won gold at the World Mountain and Trail Running Championships in Chiang Mai, Thailand, in 2022.

We know another place he can burn — for all eternity.

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