Ekurhuleni murders: Five victims still unnamed as Kempton Park probe widens

Five women still have no publicly confirmed names as detectives investigate the deaths of nine women across Ekurhuleni.

The number of unidentified victims dropped to five on Thursday after the family of Gracious Nkomo, 28, identified her at the Germiston Mortuary.

Police found Nkomo partially clothed along the R21 in Kempton Park on 10 September. Her identification made her the fourth publicly named victim in the wider Ekurhuleni killings investigation.

She joins Itumeleng Kekana, Elizabeth “Tsontso” Moselakgomo and Dineo Evelyn Motapane.

But five women remain publicly unidentified as investigators work to establish who they were and whether any of the nine cases are linked.

Here is what we know about the women who still have no publicly confirmed names.

15 JULY: WOMAN FOUND BOUND NEAR R21

The earliest case dates back to 15 July, when police found a 37-year-old woman in an open field near the R21 in Kempton Park.

She was naked and restrained with cable ties.

Police arrested a man two days later in connection with her murder. He remains in custody while investigators examine whether evidence could link him to any of the other deaths.

Police have not confirmed such a link.

Authorities have also not publicly released the woman’s name.

24 AUGUST: 32-YEAR-OLD FOUND NEAR R21

Police found another woman dead near the R21 in Kempton Park on 24 August.

The 32-year-old was partially clothed when officers discovered her body.

Her identity has not been publicly released.

7 SEPTEMBER: WOMAN FOUND IN CLAYVILLE RIVER

Another woman remains unnamed after police recovered her body from a river in Clayville, near the Mall of Thembisa, on 7 September.

Authorities estimated that she was in her late 20s.

Police found her wearing only underwear.

Her identity remains publicly unknown.

14 SEPTEMBER: WOMAN FOUND IN OLIFANTSFONTEIN

A fourth unidentified woman was found on the side of a road in Olifantsfontein on 14 September.

Police said she was partially clothed and had bruising on her body.

Her name has not been released.

17 SEPTEMBER: NINTH WOMAN FOUND IN DAWN PARK

Police found the latest victim in Dawn Park, Boksburg, on Thursday.

Her death brought the number of women in the wider Ekurhuleni investigation to nine.

Police said preliminary information suggested someone killed her elsewhere before dumping her body at the scene.

Her identity had not been publicly confirmed by early Friday morning. SAPS listed the Dawn Park discovery as the ninth body recovered in the Ekurhuleni district.

GAUTENG HEALTH URGES FAMILIES TO COME FORWARD

The Gauteng Department of Health had already appealed to families with missing loved ones to help identify the women earlier this week.

Earlier this week, when three of the then-five victims remained unidentified, department spokesperson Steve Mabona urged families who had reported relatives missing and believed they could be among the deceased to approach the Germiston Forensic Pathology Service.

Forensic teams were retrieving samples for DNA analysis to help establish the women’s identities.

The appeal has since widened.

The National Council on Gender-Based Violence and Femicide also urged any family with a missing loved one in Gauteng to approach SAPS and Gauteng Health so that DNA identification could take place.

The call takes on added urgency now that five of the nine women remain publicly unidentified.

HOME AFFAIRS JOINS IDENTIFICATION DRIVE

Police have also brought Home Affairs into the investigation as they try to put names to the remaining victims.

Investigators are using biometric information, including fingerprint records, to identify the women and develop possible leads.

Acting Gauteng Police Commissioner Major General Fred Kekana said senior Home Affairs officials had joined the operation.

Identifying the women could help detectives retrace their movements, establish where they lived and determine who last saw them alive.