South African Police Investigate Seven Women Found Dead East of Johannesburg, Serial Killer Fears

South African police are investigating the deaths of seven women whose bodies were found in the same area east of Johannesburg over the past two months, after a body was discovered east of Johannesburg on Tuesday as the seventh victim.

“A body was discovered east of Johannesburg on Tuesday – the seventh victim found in the past two months”

The Independent

The Independent reported that the latest victim’s body was found in the Kwa-Thema area, about 21 miles (34km) from Kempton Park, and police said the victim was found naked and in an advanced stage of decomposition.

ABC News

South African Police Services (SAPS) issued a public warning for women to be careful when doing activities like jogging in the area, while authorities said they did not confirm whether the deaths were the work of the same killer.

Police spokesperson Athlenda Mathe said, “While investigations are still underway and SAPS has not, at this stage, confirmed that the deaths are linked to a serial killer,” and added that the similarities were “sufficiently concerning” to intensify investigations.

President Cyril Ramaphosa said he had directed police authorities to prioritize the ongoing murder investigations, telling the public, “I have directed ... that no stone be left unturned in bringing those responsible to justice.”

The BBC described how police announced the discovery of the fifth body on Monday, 14 September, identifying it as the body of 38-year-old jogger Elizabeth “Tsontso” Moselakgomo, who had gone missing after an afternoon run.

BBC

In the BBC’s account of the police advisory, Acting National Commissioner Lieutenant General Puleng Dimpane said preliminary investigation showed the circumstances around the five deaths were similar, including that “Dem find di bodis of di women half-naked wit visible bruises.”

The BBC also reported that police ruled out linking the deaths to a serial killer at that stage, even as the investigation continued and SAPS issued guidance for women in the Kempton Park area to avoid walking or running alone, particularly for isolated areas.

South African police said they were investigating whether they were dealing with “one perpetrator or a group of men,” and the Leadership Newspapers report said the killings have sparked renewed concern in the Ekurhuleni municipality east of Johannesburg.

““We are still investigating whether we are dealing with one perpetrator or a group of men that are behind the murders of these women,””

LEADERSHIP Newspapers

Leadership Newspapers reported that the first victim, a 37-year-old woman, was found naked and bound with cable ties on July 15, and that a suspect was arrested two days later, while other victims were found on August 24 and September 10.

The Witness reported that serial murder profiler Dr Gerard Labuschagne urged specially trained detectives to be brought in immediately, warning that police could lose valuable time if they waited for links between the cases to be confirmed before deploying detectives trained in serial murder investigations.T

Amid the investigation, the BBC said police had set up a task team to investigate the cases and determine whether the incidents were related, with the team including detectives from specialised units such as the Murder and Robbery Unit and the Investigative Psychology Unit.