'Black Jesus' captured and killed

An infamous cult leader Steven Tari known as "Black Jesus" has been captured and killed by villagers in Papua New Guinea, police say.

Steven Tari had been on the run since escaping from prison in the northern town of Madang earlier this year. Report say he was chopped to death at a remote village outside the town on Thursday, a senior police official told local media.

Tari had been serving a lengthy prison term after being convicted in 2010 of raping girls and young women who belonged to his Christian-based sect.

A former bible student and drop-out who promised his followers prosperity and eternal life, Tari was arrested in 2007 amid sensational claims that he had performed sacrificial killings and feasted on the flesh of his victims. In the event, he was charged only with rape, although rumours of murder and cannibalism continued to dog him. In 2010 he was convicted of raping four teenage girls who had joined his sect. He was jailed for 20 years.


Black Jesus was surrounded by angry villagers and chopped to death