A 10th woman's body has been found near Johannesburg, South Africa's largest city, deepening fears of a serial killer at work.
South African police said on the 26th that they had discovered the 10th female body in the Ekurhuleni area east of Johannesburg and were investigating, according to the Associated Press and other outlets.
In a statement, police said they could confirm only that a body had been found, and that all necessary specialist personnel had been deployed to the scene to examine the crime scene. The victim's identity has not been released.
Three women's bodies had earlier been found in succession within a 7-kilometer radius in Ekurhuleni in July and August. Six more were found in a span of just 10 days earlier this month, heightening concerns that a serial killer could be responsible.
The cases drew wider attention after the story emerged of Elizabeth Mosethlakgomo, 38, a mother of an 8-year-old daughter, who went out jogging after work and was later found dead. Police said all nine victims found through the previous day were women in their 20s or 30s. Many of them were naked or partially undressed and had been dumped in open ground near major roads.
Given the gravity of the situation, authorities have brought in the Investigative Psychology Unit (IPU), a team of profilers that handles complex cases and serial violent crimes.
In connection with the ninth victim, found on the 17th, police arrested and charged two women with murder. They have not linked the pair to the other killings.
National Police Commissioner Tommy Mthombeni told SABC, the state broadcaster, that investigators view the ninth killing as a standalone crime, but that some of the remaining cases could be connected.
Police have identified similarities in the methods used in some of the killings but have yet to secure decisive evidence that the same person or group is responsible.
South Africa, ranked among the countries with the highest rates of violent crime and gender-based violence (GBV) in the world, has seen anger over public safety and nationwide outrage build over the string of killings.
Amnesty International South Africa called the discoveries another horrifying example showing that women in South Africa are not safe. The Commission for Gender Equality also called for a safety review involving police, local government and transport authorities, and urged emergency preventive measures in the affected areas.
On the 19th, hundreds of runners and residents ran a 13-kilometer route that included the course Mosethlakgomo had used, calling for streets where women can walk without fear.
