Former SAPS profiler: Treat Ekurhuleni murders as a serial killer investigation

Former SAPS profiler: Treat Ekurhuleni murders as a serial killer investigation bombeleni_temp Tue, 09/15/2026 - 11:25

JOHANNESBURG - The Ekurhuleni murders should be investigated as a potential serial killer case, according to former SAPS criminal profiler Elmarie Myburgh.

As the number of victims grows, Myburgh warns that police risk falling behind if the cases are not investigated through a coordinated approach.

Her comments come after the body of another woman was found outside a clinic in KwaThema, Springs, on Tuesday, the sixth woman whose body has been discovered in a public space in Ekurhuleni.

**READ: **Another woman’s body found in Ekurhuleni

Police say three women’s bodies were found in the Rhodesfield area of Kempton Park over the past two months. The first victim, a 37-year-old woman, was allegedly murdered by her boyfriend, who has since been arrested.

The discovery of the body of social runner Elizabeth “Tsontso” Moselakgomo in the same area intensified fears after she became the fourth woman found in Rhodesfield under similar circumstances.

Another woman’s body was later discovered in Olifantsfontein, more than 20 kilometres away, while the KwaThema discovery has added to growing public concern.

Acting Gauteng Police Commissioner Fred Kekana says it is too early to conclude that a serial killer is on the loose.

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Myburgh agrees that police cannot make that determination yet, but says investigators would benefit from treating the cases as if they could be linked.

“If you later find that they are not linked, the investigation still continues and it helps,” she says.

**READ: **Women for Change: Police must stop putting safety burden on women

She warns that investigating each case in isolation could result in valuable time being lost if evidence later shows the murders are connected.

Myburgh, a former lieutenant colonel, is best known for her work as a criminal profiler during the Nomia Ndlovu murder-for-insurance case.