Satanic Sacrifice': South African Teen Dies After Being Set Ablaze During Alleged Ritual

Police say an 18-year-old woman set ablaze in a suspected satanic ritual has died.

The teen, Kirsty Theologo, perished just one week after authorities suspect that her friends covered her in gasoline and burned her alive.

Court records say that Theologo and a 16-year-old friend were among eight young people who went behind some rocks at a suburban swimming pool a week ago. Theologo was apparently tied up, doused in gasoline and a match was thrown at her. Some say she was intended to serve as a bizarre "satanic sacrifice."

After sustaining third and fourth degree burns, Theologo was in a coma, but the burns, which affected her body from the waist up, also severely impacted her lungs. In the end, her body could not sustain the injuries.

Her 16-year-old friend, identified as "Bronwyn," threw herself on Theologo to try and put out the flames. As a result, Bronwyn suffered burns to her body as well. Unlike Theologo, though, she will survive her wounds.

According to the Telegraph, one boy cut a third girl's hand and then held it over a Bible so that the blood would soak the Holy book. This detail apparently comes from one of the girls who was with the group.

Four suspects -- all men --  are now in custody. According to iOL News, "Lindon Wagner, 21, and Robin Harwood,18, were arrested on Sunday and Lester Evan Nathaniel Moody and Jeremy King, both 18, were arrested on Monday." iOL continues:

On Tuesday, the four men appeared briefly in the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court to answer to two charges of attempted murder, and one for burn wounds that Kirsty’s 16-year-old friend, known only as Bronwyn, suffered. [...]

Spokeswoman Lorraine Van Emerik said one of the charges against four young men accused in the case will be changed from attempted murder to murder. At this point, the satanic allegations have not yet been substantiated, but police are exploring the incident.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.