‎Fingerprints Under Scrutiny As Police Probe First Kempton Park Murder Suspect’s Nationality

‎Deputy National Commissioner for Policing in South Africa, Lieutenant-General Tebello Mosikili, says authorities are using fingerprints to verify the nationality of a person under investigation and probe possible links to the Kempton Park killings.

‎Deputy National Commissioner for Policing Lieutenant-General Tebello Mosikili says authorities are using fingerprints to verify the nationality of a person under investigation and probe possible links to the Kempton Park killings.

‎A suspect arrested in connection with the first murder in Kempton Park in July might be a foreign national, with authorities now working to establish his identity and nationality through police and prison fingerprint records.

‎The suspect, who is linked to the first murder under investigation, appeared in court on Wednesday and was remanded in custody.

‎The first body was discovered in an open veld near the R21 in Kempton Park on July 15. The 37-year-old woman was found naked and bound with cable ties. A suspect was arrested two days later.

‎Deputy National Commissioner Lieutenant-General Tebello Mosikili said that early information received by the authorities indicated that the man was not South African, but stressed that this had not yet been officially confirmed.

‎“We cannot say yes, it’s a non-South African, but we have been informed that it’s a non-South African,” Mosikili said.

‎“From which country, that is what we are going to be establishing later today with our colleagues from the Department of Home Affairs.”

‎Mosikili said police were still obtaining fingerprints from police and prison records to verify the identity of the suspect in custody.

‎“I am saying we are meeting as departments. So we want to get the fingerprints from the police and the prison to check so that we can confirm the nationality,” she said.

‎The Department of Home Affairs has been brought into the process as authorities attempt to establish the suspect’s country of origin.

‎Mosikili said the State Security Agency had also been approached to assist in gathering intelligence about the suspect and examining his background.

‎“I have spoken to our State Security Agency so that we can get all the intelligence that we require on this particular individual and see how far back we can investigate him and any linkage to other bodies,” she said.

‎No link between the suspect and the other deaths has yet been established.

‎Mosikili said investigators were looking broadly at possible connections because additional bodies had been discovered near where an earlier victim was found.

‎The investigation took another grim turn on Thursday when a ninth woman’s body was discovered in Dawn Park, Ekurhuleni.

‎Gauteng acting provincial commissioner Major-General Fred Kekana said preliminary indications were that the woman’s body had been dumped at the scene, according to IOL.

‎The discovery brings to nine the number of women whose bodies have been recovered across Ekurhuleni since July. Police are investigating whether the cases are connected and have not confirmed that a serial killer is responsible.

‎IOL reported that the cases stretch across Kempton Park, Pomona, Rhodesfield, Clayville, Olifantsfontein and KwaThema, with several victims found naked or partially clothed.

‎Among the victims was 38-year-old runner Elizabeth “Tsontso” Moselakgomo, who disappeared after leaving her Kempton Park home for a run. Her partially clothed body was found behind a hotel in Rhodesfield on September 12 and was subsequently identified by her family.

‎Another victim, 38-year-old Dineo Evelyn Motapane, was found in KwaThema this week and was subsequently identified by her family.

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