Tenth woman’s body found near Johannesburg as police investigate killings

South African police found a 10th woman’s body near Johannesburg on Saturday, deepening concern over a series of killings that investigators say may be connected but have not conclusively linked.

The body was found in Thembisa, in the Ekurhuleni municipality east of Johannesburg. Police released few details and did not immediately identify the woman. Provincial police chief Lt. Gen. Tommy Mthombeni said she appeared to have been stoned to death, according to Al Jazeera. A post-mortem examination will determine the cause of death.

“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.”

The investigation began after the bodies of three women were found in July and August within roughly four miles of one another in Ekurhuleni. Six more bodies were discovered there over 10 days earlier this month. Those discoveries raised fears in the community that a serial killer or killers were responsible.

Police have found similarities in some of the killings, but Mthombeni cautioned that investigators have no conclusive evidence that the same person or people killed the women. Officers from the Investigative Psychology Unit, which specializes in complex or serial violent crimes, have joined the investigation, CBS News reported. Police have warned women to use caution in the area.

All nine women found before Saturday were in their 20s or 30s. Several were naked or partially clothed, and some bodies were left in open areas near main roads. Police have not confirmed the age of the 10th woman or whether she was clothed.

Two women were arrested and charged last week with murdering the woman whose body was the ninth found, on Sept. 17. Police said she had been stabbed and her throat cut. Investigators have not linked the two suspects to any of the other deaths. Mthombeni told state broadcaster SABC that police believe the ninth killing was an isolated case, though some of the other cases could be connected. Police have said the ninth killing may have stemmed from a relationship-related matter, according to Al Jazeera.

Al Jazeera also reported that the first woman found, in mid-July, was naked and had been restrained with cable ties. Her boyfriend was arrested, but no charges were filed.

“We have put highly capable investigators on this case,” Mthombeni told reporters at the scene of Saturday’s discovery, according to Al Jazeera. He pledged to find those responsible.

President Cyril Ramaphosa acknowledged the latest discovery while campaigning ahead of local elections, Al Jazeera reported, citing broadcaster eNCA. “I’ve sadly heard about 10th body of a woman found in Thembisa,” he said. “This continues to make us very sad, and in many ways, it’s a shame on the men of South Africa that we continue to kill the women of our beautiful country.”

The deaths have sparked a national outcry over women’s safety. Al Jazeera reported that an average of 15 women are killed each day in South Africa. CBS News cited a recent study finding that three women a day were killed by an intimate partner in 2020-2021.