WARNING SIGNS

Mandela Signer Faced Murder Charge

"Fake" sign language interpreter had criminal record.

It just keeps getting worse. Not only does Thamsanqa Jantjie, the fake sign language interpreter at Nelson Mandela’s memorial service, apparently suffer from schizophrenia and have a history of botched translations at previous events, he also has a reportedly sordid criminal history. According to reports, Jantjie has faced charges of murder, property damage, burglary, theft, and even rape. It's unclear whether he's actually ever served jailtime. The South African government has apologized for choosing Jantjie to interpret at the ceremony, and has said it was aware of the murder charge reports—a frightening revelation given that 91 heads of state, including President Obama, were at the event.