The family of a British woman who disappeared during a hike in South Africa believes her case should now be investigated as a suspected murder.
Lorna McSorley, 71, from Teignmouth in Devon, went missing in September 2025 while walking with her partner of three decades, 82-year-old Leon Probert.
The couple had left the Ghost Mountain Inn in KwaZulu-Natal during a two-week holiday, planning to take a short walk and look for wildlife in the area.
However, Leon struggled with the heat and the length of the route. He turned back to the hotel to collect his hat, while Lorna carried on alone.
It was the last time he saw her.
Lorna never returned, and she has not been seen or heard from since. A major search of the surrounding area was launched after she failed to come back three hours later.
People living in the region have suggested that she may have been abducted and killed for body parts allegedly used in “muti” rituals.
Her brother, Geoff Sheward, is now calling for the disappearance to be handled as a murder investigation rather than solely as a missing-person case.
Geoff, pictured right, has urged authorities to investigate his sister Lorna’s disappearance as a possible murder
Lorna and Leon had checked into the Ghost Mountain Inn before beginning their two-week holiday
A year after Lorna vanished, Geoff, 73, said the family remains unable to properly mourn her because they still do not know what happened.
“As terrible as it would be to learn any horrifying details, knowing nothing is certainly worse,” he told The Times.
“We are stuck in limbo. We cannot settle her affairs, and we do not know how to grieve.”
The northern part of KwaZulu-Natal, where Lorna disappeared, is known for the strength of local beliefs surrounding “muti”—a form of traditional medicine or magic.
Although many “muti” practices involve plants or animals, some people believe that human body parts are needed to create the most powerful charms or medicines.
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Such beliefs have been linked to individuals seeking wealth, protection or influence, including business figures trying to secure deals, gang members wanting protection and politicians pursuing high office.
Several residents previously told The Times that a “muti” killing could explain Lorna’s disappearance.
Lorna, pictured right, and Leon, pictured left, were captured on CCTV at the Ghost Mountain Inn reception on September 27
Jacob Sabelo Ntshangase, an expert in Zulu culture, told the newspaper that some practitioners believe body parts taken from white people or people with albinism can bring strength and prosperity.
He said Lorna’s extended time alone in the bush may have made her vulnerable, suggesting someone could have noticed her, summoned others and abducted her.
Lorna and Leon had arrived by coach at the Ghost Mountain Inn on September 27, 2025, at around midday.
CCTV showed the couple at the reception together before they set off on a three-mile walk to a nearby lake at 2.30pm.
The pair were keen to make the most of their fortnight-long trip, which was said to include two days in the legendary Kruger National Park.
But Leon quickly turned back, due to the heat, distance and the fact he forgot his hat.
Alone in the remote South African region, Lorna lost her way, reportedly stopping at local farmer Koos Prinsloo’s property to ask for directions.
After she failed to return from the hike, Leon raised the alarm and local police, farmers, volunteers and rangers searched the area for the missing Briton.
The search area was then increased when no signs of life were discovered in the following days.
On October 4, local detectives paused the search, saying they were looking into other leads. Her disappearance was not classified as a murder but a missing persons case.
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