Beauty and the Bester

Thabo Bester, South Africa’s so-called “Facebook Rapist,” was serving a murder conviction when he died by suicide in his prison cell, setting his bed on fire. But authorities later revealed the victim had been killed before the fire began. The story took another turn when celebrity doctor Nandipha Magudumana attempted to claim Bester’s body. Investigators looked deeper into the connection between the inmate and the social media influencer. Then the media questioned whether Bester had faked his death and escaped with Magundumana’s help.

The three-part Netflix series “Beauty and the Bester” recounts the extraordinary investigation into South Africa’s most notorious criminal, his relationship with a celebrity, and what happened next. Featuring extensive interviews with Magudumana's family and investigative journalists, the series shows how a bizarre prison death turned into a national sensation.

OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "BEAUTY AND THE BESTER" BEGIN IN THE FINAL TEN MINUTES OF THE EPISODE.

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This show was recorded in The Caitlin Rogers Project Studio. Click to find out more.

About the show: Crime Writers On… is the original true‑crime review podcast, covering the best in true‑crime podcasts, documentaries, TV, film, journalism, and storytelling.

From Partners in Crime Media — creators of These Are Their Stories, the Law & Order aftershow and Netflix's You Can't Make This Up.

Keywords: true‑crime review, podcast review, documentary review, TV review, media criticism, pop‑culture commentary, crime documentaries, journalism, storytelling

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