Ekurhuleni murders: 10th woman may have been stoned, police say

Police are investigating whether the 10th woman found dead in Ekurhuleni was stoned before her body was discovered in Tembisa.

Gauteng Provincial Commissioner Lieutenant General Tommy Mthombeni said evidence at the crime scene suggested the woman may have been stoned.

However, police are waiting for a post-mortem examination to determine her official cause of death.

The woman was found near Mooifontein Cemetery in the Vusimuzi section of Tembisa on Saturday, 26 September.

Mthombeni said the investigation into the latest case remained at an early stage.

FORENSIC TEAMS PROCESS SCENE

Crime-scene management and forensic pathology teams processed the scene and collected evidence that investigators hope will help establish what happened to the woman.

Mthombeni said the post-mortem would be crucial in confirming how she died.

Police have not yet released the woman’s identity or age.

Her discovery brings the number of women found dead across Ekurhuleni since July to 10.

SPECIALIST POLICE TEAMS JOIN INVESTIGATION

Mthombeni said police were using a two-pronged approach to deal with the killings.

The first focuses on the criminal investigations, while the second involves increased operational deployments in affected areas.

Crime Intelligence officers, forensic specialists and members of the SAPS Investigative Psychology Section are among the teams working on the cases.

Senior police officials are also overseeing the investigation and tracking progress across the different dockets.

Mthombeni said investigators had scrutinised some of the earlier cases and remained optimistic about making further breakthroughs.

POLICE MAKE PROGRESS IN EARLIER CASES

Police have already made arrests in two of the Ekurhuleni cases.

A suspect was arrested shortly after Busisiwe Mahlangu, 37, was found dead near the R21 in Kempton Park in July.

Two women have also been charged in connection with the murder of Jabulile Ntimba, whose body was found in Dawn Park on 17 September.

Police have not linked those accused to the other women’s deaths.

R400 000 REWARD REMAINS ON OFFER

Police have offered a R400 000 reward for information that could help investigators identify and arrest those responsible for the killings.

Mthombeni said specialist resources had been deployed to strengthen the investigation, including investigative psychology and forensic expertise.

Police are still working to determine which of the cases, if any, are connected.

For now, investigators are awaiting the post-mortem results in the latest Tembisa case as they continue piecing together evidence from across Ekurhuleni.