Ekurhuleni killings: Kempton Park murder suspect probed for links
· The South African
Police are testing whether a man already in custody for one Kempton Park murder could be connected to other women’s deaths across Ekurhuleni.
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Officers arrested the suspect after finding a 37-year-old woman naked and restrained with cable ties in an open field near the R21 in Kempton Park on 15 July.
He appeared in court again on Wednesday and remains in custody at the Modderbee Correctional Facility in Benoni.
Detectives are now comparing evidence from his case with the wider investigation into the deaths of nine women across Ekurhuleni since July.
POLICE GATHER MORE INTELLIGENCE ON SUSPECT
Deputy National Police Commissioner for Policing Lieutenant-General Tebello Mosikili said detectives are gathering further intelligence on the man as they examine the other cases.
Two more women’s bodies later surfaced in the same general area where officers found the July victim.
Mosikili said detectives would follow the evidence before drawing any conclusions about whether the suspect played a role in additional deaths.
SAPS is also trying to confirm his nationality through fingerprint checks. Police have received information that he may be a foreign national but have not yet verified it.
NINTH WOMAN FOUND IN DAWN PARK
The investigation widened again on Thursday morning when officers found a ninth woman’s body in Dawn Park, Boksburg.
Police discovered the unidentified woman partially clothed in an open area in Lama Street.
Acting Gauteng police commissioner Major General Fred Kekana said preliminary information suggested that someone killed her elsewhere before dumping her body at the scene.
Police believe she was about 30 years old.
Her discovery brings the number of women’s bodies under investigation across Ekurhuleni to nine in about two months.
HIGH-LEVEL MEETING SET FOR THURSDAY
Senior police and government officials are expected to meet later on Thursday as pressure grows for a breakthrough.
Mosikili said national police structures have joined the operation and teams are pursuing several leads.
Detectives, forensic specialists, crime intelligence officers and other experts form part of the multidisciplinary team working on the cases.
Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi has also said investigators are making progress on two or three leads, although authorities have not released details.
SAPS HAS NOT CONFIRMED SERIAL KILLER
SAPS has not established that one offender killed all nine women.
Detectives are comparing crime scenes, forensic results, victim profiles and other evidence to determine whether any of the cases connect.
Similarities between some of the deaths have fuelled fears of a possible serial killer, but police have urged the public to wait for evidence before drawing that conclusion.
Authorities have so far publicly identified three victims: Elizabeth “Tsontso” Moselakgomo, Itumeleng Kekana and Dineo Evelyn Motapane.
The suspect already behind bars now forms one part of a much broader investigation as detectives work to establish whether Ekurhuleni is dealing with separate murders or cases that share a common link.