British Tourist's Mysterious Disappearance In South Africa Linked To Witchcraft Practice

Lorna McSorley, a 71-year-old British tourist, vanished during a hike near Kruger National Park in South Africa. The disappearance sparked fears that she was killed for her body parts to be used in witchcraft, known as "Muti", The Times reported.

McSorley and her partner, Leon Probert, 81, were on a package holiday at Ghost Mountain Inn when she disappeared on September 27, 2025. She was last seen asking a local farmer for directions, off the marked trail.

The report mentioned that despite extensive searches, only her crumpled map was found. Even after four months on, the detectives in northern KwaZulu-Natal province allegedly said that they have no new leads.

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During the probe, a local farmer had the last confirmed sighting of McSorley, who was wearing a black bum bag. She had asked for directions. "She seemed relaxed and said she didn't want a lift back to the hotel, so I went back to my lunch," the farmer, named Koos Prinsloo, told The Times.

Her partner raised concerns when she didn't return from the walk that should have taken no more than 90 minutes. After a few days, the authorities helped him to fly back home. "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," as quoted by the report, he said in a call from their Devon home.

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Now, the investigators suspect that McSorley may have been a victim of Muti, a practice involving human body parts for ritual purposes. The media outlet said it spoke to several people in the nearby town of Mkuze who independently suggested that a muti killing was a likely explanation for her disappearance, as there was no ransom demand. Local sources also suggest that unexplained disappearances have occurred in the area, fueling fears of ritual killings.

Police have declined to comment on private investigations, but a parallel probe analysed mobile phone data, revealing suspicious activity near the disappearance site. Authorities admit there are no new leads, and the case remains unsolved.