Officials from the hospital have reported the death of the man accused of killing Ugandan Olympic marathon runner Rebecca Cheptegei.

Dickson Ndiema Marangach, who was Cheptegei’s ex-boyfriend and allegedly set her on fire, passed away on Monday, according to the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Eldoret, Kenya, as stated by Reuters.

According to Kenyan police, Marangach entered Cheptegei’s residence in Endebess, Kenya, on September 1, while she was at church with her children. When Cheptegei returned home, it is alleged that Marangach doused her in gasoline and ignited it. The hospital confirmed that Cheptegei sustained burns on over 75% of her body and was admitted to intensive care. She succumbed to her injuries four days later.

Following the incident, Marangach also suffered burns covering more than 41% of his body, which contributed to his demise. Police informed The Washington Post that he was under hospital guard.

“He experienced respiratory failure due to severe burns to his airways, which eventually led to his death from sepsis,” stated Philip Kirwa, the hospital’s CEO, in a public statement.

Cheptegei began her athletics career in 2010, participating in events such as the 1,500 meters, 10,000 meters, half-marathons, and full marathons. She represented Uganda at the World Cross Championships in Punta Umbria, Spain, in 2011 and in Bydgoszcz, Poland, in 2013, as reported by The Standard. She made her Olympic debut at the 2024 Paris Olympics, where she finished 44th in the women’s marathon.

Joseph Cheptegei, Rebecca’s father, disclosed that his daughter and Marangach had been apart for a while and were embroiled in a land disagreement related to her property in western Kenya leading up to her death.

Contributing: Mike Snider, Nancy Armour