South African police have identified a suspect behind the gruesome murder of South African student Naledi Lethoba, whose body was found burnt and dismembered in an open field on May 19.

According Welkom police commander Lerato Molale, the 21-year-old woman's body was found in a horrifying state, with both of her breasts cut off and a knife through her neck.

"The body was badly burnt, a knife was stuck in the neck and it was just lying around there in the trees, hence I am saying she was murdered in a spine chilling manner", Molale sad, via ENCA. 

On Tuesday officials detained Obed Leshoro and listed him as a prime suspect in the investigation. Per The South African, the 19-year-old's family helped facilitate his arrest by police. The alleged murderer stood before Welkom Magistrate's Court shortly after his capture and his trial is scheduled to begin June 14. A motive for the killing has not been identified and Molale says the aggressor refuses to cooperate with police.

The South African also reports Lethoba and Leshoro may have been romantically linked at one point. The two did not attend the same school, however. Naledi was enrolled at the Goldfields TVET College while her murderer studied only miles from the victim at ICALC Training Academy in Welkom.

"He was not from the same campus as Naledi, he was studying somewhere and at the same time I would like to thank parents of the suspect as well as the investigating team who uncovered that he was the suspect," Molale told reporters.

Lethoba's murder has sparked a social media movement, with those near and far using the hashtag #JusticeforNaledi on Twitter.