WINDHOEK – As Juanita Mabula’s family today remember her death – they will clean the site where her headless body was found on September 25 last year – her murderer(s) continue to elude the Police.
Mabula’s decapitated body was found next to Windhoek’s Western Bypass close to the University of Namibia. A month later her head was found a few kilometres outside Rehoboth.Tomorrow the places where the body and the head were found will be cleaned by her family in remembrance of the 21-year-old Mabula.In an interview with Nampa, Mabula’s aunt, Antolika Tjipanga, said it was sad that the killer or killers had not yet been found.”But as a remembrance to our beloved one, we are going to clean up the places where the body and head were found,” Tjipanga said, fighting back tears.Meanwhile, Sergeant Stephan Nuuyi of the Namibian Police told Nampa that the investigation into Mabula’s death was continuing.”We do not call off investigations on murders until the suspects are found,” he said.Nuuyi said investigators continued to follow up possible leads and are exploring other angles in an effort to crack the case.One of the angles being investigated is the possibility that the murder was committed by a serial killer.The bodies of two other young women were found in the second half of last year – one in Windhoek and the other at Rehoboth.On August 20 last year, the body of Melanie Janse (22) was found – also next to the Western Bypass, but in her case close to the Van Eck power station.Viola Swartbooi (18) was found buried in a shallow grave at Rehoboth on December 28.All three bodies were found naked.Detectives investigating the three killings suspect that Janse was strangled to death and Mabula died from a blow to the back of her head before she was beheaded.The team of detectives working on the three murder cases are not sure that they were the work of a serial killer, although they harbour strong suspicions in that regard.They have in the meantime been receiving guidance and training from South African experts on serial killers.Micki Pistorius, a South African expert, was in Namibia for a week at the end of January to train Police officers.NampaA month later her head was found a few kilometres outside Rehoboth.Tomorrow the places where the body and the head were found will be cleaned by her family in remembrance of the 21-year-old Mabula.In an interview with Nampa, Mabula’s aunt, Antolika Tjipanga, said it was sad that the killer or killers had not yet been found.”But as a remembrance to our beloved one, we are going to clean up the places where the body and head were found,” Tjipanga said, fighting back tears.Meanwhile, Sergeant Stephan Nuuyi of the Namibian Police told Nampa that the investigation into Mabula’s death was continuing.”We do not call off investigations on murders until the suspects are found,” he said.Nuuyi said investigators continued to follow up possible leads and are exploring other angles in an effort to crack the case.One of the angles being investigated is the possibility that the murder was committed by a serial killer.The bodies of two other young women were found in the second half of last year – one in Windhoek and the other at Rehoboth.On August 20 last year, the body of Melanie Janse (22) was found – also next to the Western Bypass, but in her case close to the Van Eck power station.Viola Swartbooi (18) was found buried in a shallow grave at Rehoboth on December 28.All three bodies were found naked.Detectives investigating the three killings suspect that Janse was strangled to death and Mabula died from a blow to the back of her head before she was beheaded.The team of detectives working on the three murder cases are not sure that they were the work of a serial killer, although they harbour strong suspicions in that regard.They have in the meantime been receiving guidance and training from South African experts on serial killers.Micki Pistorius, a South African expert, was in Namibia for a week at the end of January to train Police officers.Nampa
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