B1 killer probe widens

THE grave of a young woman suspected of being murdered in late 2005 was opened in Windhoek on Friday as part of an ongoing Police investigation into the deaths of four women who have been found dead – and in some instances dismembered – in central Namibia in the past two years.

The grave where the 18-year-old Viola Swartbooi lies buried in the Khomasdal Cemetery was exhumed to obtain a DNA sample from her remains, Deputy Commissioner Marius Visser, the Namibian Police’s crime investigation co-ordinator for the Khomas Region, told The Namibian on enquiry yesterday. Visser said Swartbooi’s remains were not removed from her grave, but material was collected from her coffin to get a DNA sample for comparison and analysis as part of the investigation of her death.The Director of the National Forensic Science Institute of Namibia, Paul Ludik, was on hand to collect the material.Also at the site were Visser and other Police officers involved in the investigation into the deaths of three other women who may have fallen prey to a possible serial killer in the Windhoek area between August 2005 and June this year.Swartbooi was found buried in a shallow grave at Rehoboth on December 28 2005.She had disappeared from her home in Windhoek on December 16 2005.Swartbooi was found buried naked.Her remains were decomposed, and because of this the cause of her death could not be established with certainty, the Police reported.She was the third young woman from Windhoek to be found dead and – in a possible indication of a link between the three cases – naked when their remains were discovered during the last months of 2005.With a team of Police officers still investigating the deaths of those three women, as well as the death of 36-year-old Sanna Garoës, whose dismembered remains were found discarded next to the B1 and B6 main roads to the north, south and east of Windhoek on June 17, June 20 and July 11 this year, it has so far neither been ruled out nor been confirmed that the same killer has been responsible for the deaths of all four these women.The Commanding Officer of the Police’s Public Relations and Liaison Division, Chief Inspector Angula Amulungu, added yesterday that Swartbooi’s grave was opened to get a DNA sample to determine whether there was a link between her death and those of Garoës and the late Juanita Mabula.Mabula’s headless body was found lying naked next to the Western Bypass road near the Windhoek Turf Club on September 25 2005.That was a week before what would have been Mabula’s 22nd birthday.Her head was found lying next to the B1 road between Windhoek and Rehoboth on October 24 2005.According to Visser the combined investigation of her and Garoës’s deaths is continuing without pause.DNA samples from 21 people – being possible suspects – have been sent away for analysis so far in the course of the investigation, he said.It takes between four and six months before the results of the DNA analysis are received back, he added.’NO LET-UP’ Visser said it is not planned at this stage to open the graves of the other three women whose deaths are still being investigated by a team of Police detectives.They are Garoës, Mabula and the 22-year-old Melanie Janse, whose naked body was found lying next to the Western Bypass road near Windhoek’s Van Eck Power Station on August 20 2005.A N$20 000 reward for information leading to the arrest of the person(s) suspected to have murdered Mabula and Janse was offered by the Police in late September 2005.Following the discovery of Garoës’s dissected torso in a rubbish bin next to the Windhoek-Okahandja main road on June 17 this year, the Police offered a reward of N$60 000 for information leading to the arrest of the person(s) responsible for the suspected murder of the victim who was later identified as Garoës.Information can be relayed to the investigators by telephone at (061) 209 4414 during office hours, or by fax at (061) 209 4445, or an all-hours cellphone number, 081 127 5510.Visser said Swartbooi’s remains were not removed from her grave, but material was collected from her coffin to get a DNA sample for comparison and analysis as part of the investigation of her death.The Director of the National Forensic Science Institute of Namibia, Paul Ludik, was on hand to collect the material.Also at the site were Visser and other Police officers involved in the investigation into the deaths of three other women who may have fallen prey to a possible serial killer in the Windhoek area between August 2005 and June this year.Swartbooi was found buried in a shallow grave at Rehoboth on December 28 2005. She had disappeared from her home in Windhoek on December 16 2005.Swartbooi was found buried naked.Her remains were decomposed, and because of this the cause of her death could not be established with certainty, the Police reported.She was the third young woman from Windhoek to be found dead and – in a possible indication of a link between the three cases – naked when their remains were discovered during the last months of 2005.With a team of Police officers still investigating the deaths of those three women, as well as the death of 36-year-old Sanna Garoës, whose dismembered remains were found discarded next to the B1 and B6 main roads to the north, south and east of Windhoek on June 17, June 20 and July 11 this year, it has so far neither been ruled out nor been confirmed that the same killer has been responsible for the deaths of all four these women.The Commanding Officer of the Police’s Public Relations and Liaison Division, Chief Inspector Angula Amulungu, added yesterday that Swartbooi’s grave was opened to get a DNA sample to determine whether there was a link between her death and those of Garoës and the late Juanita Mabula.Mabula’s headless body was found lying naked next to the Western Bypass road near the Windhoek Turf Club on September 25 2005.That was a week before what would have been Mabula’s 22nd birthday.Her head was found lying next to the B1 road between Windhoek and Rehoboth on October 24 2005.According to Visser the combined investigation of her and Garoës’s deaths is continuing without pause.DNA samples from 21 people – being possible suspects – have been sent away for analysis so far in the course of the investigation, he said.It takes between four and six months before the results of the DNA analysis are received back, he added.’NO LET-UP’ Visser said it is not planned at this stage to open the graves of the other three women whose deaths are still being investigated by a team of Police detectives.They are Garoës, Mabula and the 22-year-old Melanie Janse, whose naked body was found lying next to the Western Bypass road near Windhoek’s Van Eck Power Station on August 20 2005.A N$20 000 reward for information leading to the arrest of the person(s) suspected to have murdered Mabula and Janse was offered by the Police in late September 2005.Following the discovery of Garoës’s dissected torso in a rubbish bin next to the Windhoek-Okahandja main road on June 17 this year, the Police offered a reward of N$60 000 for information leading to the arrest of the person(s) responsible for the suspected murder of the victim who was later identified as Garoës.Information can be relayed to the investigators by telephone at (061) 209 4414 during office hours, or by fax at (061) 209 4445, or an all-hours cellphone number, 081 127 5510.