MATSAPHA – A church leader has been arrested after leading police to a shallow ditch where decomposing bodies of four women were discovered near his church yesterday.
The suspect, who is yet to be formally charged and is expected to appear in court within the next two days, reportedly lured the women to his home through Facebook before they disappeared under mysterious circumstances.
Information gathered by this newspaper indicates that investigators made a crucial breakthrough after one of the victims shared a photograph of the suspect with her relatives shortly before she disappeared.
Sources close to the investigation alleged that the woman had met the suspect through Facebook. Upon arriving at the agreed meeting place, she reportedly took a photograph of him and sent it to a family member, indicating that she had safely arrived and was with the man she had met on the social media platform.
The woman is also said to have telephoned another relative, informing them that she had arrived safely and was with the man she had travelled to meet.
When she later failed to return home and all attempts to contact her proved unsuccessful, her relatives reported her missing to police and handed over the photograph she had sent them.
According to sources, investigators used the image, together with information gathered during the missing person’s investigation, to identify and trace the suspect.
It was during subsequent investigations that the suspect allegedly led police to a shallow ditch near the Apostolic Faith Church, where the decomposing bodies of four women were discovered.
The bodies were recovered in a shallow ditch adjacent to the Apostolic Faith Church at Mfabantfu, where the suspect served as one of the church leaders.
The gruesome discovery shocked residents, many of whom said they had not noticed any foul smell from the area until police arrived and cordoned it off.
In line with the newspaper’s editorial policy, the suspect’s identity is being withheld until he has been formally charged and appeared before court.
The suspect’s mother confirmed that he was a reverend who became one of the church leaders following the death of his father, who had also served as a pastor in the same church. She clarified that he was not the overall overseer of the church, as there was another pastor senior to him.
The suspect is said to be a 40-year-old unemployed man.
Police remained at the scene until late yesterday, conducting forensic investigations. Officers photographed the scene before removing the bodies, while the suspect, who was being transported in a police van, occasionally alighted to assist investigators.
The Royal Eswatini Police Service (REPS) confirmed that two of the deceased women had already been identified.
Deputy Police Information and Communications Officer Assistant Superintendent Nosipho Mnguni said one of the women had been reported missing at Malkerns Police Station, while another had been reported missing at Matsapha Police Station.
She said investigations were continuing to establish the identities of the remaining two women as well as the circumstances surrounding their deaths.
“Police are actively investigating the matter. At this stage, we can confirm that two of the deceased women have been identified while the identities of the other two are yet to be established,” she said.
Besides being a church leader, the suspect previously served as a member of the community police.
Some members of the community police alleged that he had requested to be excused from his duties because he appeared to be preoccupied with personal matters.
Residents who knew the suspect described him as a soft-spoken and persuasive individual whose arrest had left them shocked.
“He was a smooth talker. He could even persuade you to repent through the way he shared the Scriptures. We never imagined he could be linked to such serious allegations,” said a community member.
Residents alleged that the suspect used Facebook to initiate conversations with women before inviting them to meet him.
According to some community members, the suspect allegedly developed romantic relationships with some of the women before convincing them to visit him.
One resident claimed that the suspect allegedly killed some of the women because he could not afford to pay for their transport back home.
“It is alleged that once they arrived, he realised he had no money to give them for transport home and decided to eliminate them,” claimed the resident.
However, another resident alleged that the suspect sometimes promised women employment opportunities before persuading them to visit him.
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