Fears of serial killer rise in South Africa after body of 10th woman found

South African police said Saturday that another woman’s body had been found near Johannesburg, bringing the number of victims to 10 in a series of killings under investigation.

Police began investigating after the bodies of three women were found in July and August within about 4.3 miles of one another in the Ekurhuleni municipality, east of Johannesburg.

The discovery of six bodies in Ekurhuleni over 10 days earlier this month raised fears that a serial killer or killers were responsible.

Two women were arrested and charged last week with murder in relation to the ninth body, discovered on Sept. 17. The victim had been stabbed and had her throat cut, police said. Police did not link the two women charged to any of the other killings.

Provincial police commissioner Lt. Gen. Tommy Mthombeni told state broadcaster SABC on Saturday that investigators believed the ninth killing was an isolated case but could not rule out the possibility that some of the other cases were linked.

Police had issued a warning for women to use caution while in the area. 

Police have identified similarities in some of the killings but said they had not found conclusive evidence that the same person or people were responsible.

All nine of the bodies discovered before Saturday were those of women in their 20s or 30s, according to police. Several were naked or partially clothed and left in open areas near main roads. Officers from the Investigative Psychology Unit, which specializes in complex or serial violent crimes, are part of the investigation.

Police released limited details about the 10th body, which was found early Saturday, and did not immediately identify the victim.

“We can only confirm the discovery of the body,” the South African Police Service said in a statement. “Crime scene management and all the necessary role players are currently on the scene.”

South Africa has high rates of violent crime and violence against women. Three women were killed every day by an intimate partner from 2020-2021, a recent study found.

The country has one of the highest global murder rates, with more than 60 a day on average.

The killings in Ekurhuleni have sparked a national outcry over women’s safety.