According to a new report from PEOPLE the boyfriend of the took the life of marathon runner Rebecca Cheptegei has died.
Dickson Ndiema has died after suffering 30 percent burns to his body in the attack.
The former partner of the Olympic marathon Rebecca Cheptegei has reportedly died from the burns he sustained while allegedly dousing the Ugandan athlete in gasoline.
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.
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.
If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go to thehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.
