Kempton Park serial killer? Profiler weighs in on Ekurhuleni killings
· The South African
Serial killer profiler Dr Micki Pistorius says the similarities between the women found dead across Ekurhuleni are enough for investigators to consider whether one offender is behind several of the murders.
Pistorius became SAPS’s first psychological profiler in 1994 and established its Investigative Psychology Unit. She later worked on cases including the Station Strangler, Phoenix Cane Killer and Moses Sithole investigations.
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She points to the victims’ profiles, the distance between body disposal sites in Kempton Park and other parts of Ekurhuleni, and the condition in which several of the women were found.
Based on the information in the public domain, she wrote that it “would be enough to me to declare a serial killer active”.
SAPS has not reached that conclusion. Investigators are still testing possible links between the cases and have not confirmed that one person killed all nine women.
Her assessment, published earlier this week, covered eight cases. A ninth woman was found in Dawn Park, Boksburg, the following day, meaning that case did not form part of her analysis.
PISTORIUS POINTS TO VICTIM PROFILES AND BODY DUMP SITES
Pistorius based her assessment on details already reported in the media. She said investigators should look closely at the similarities between the women, the concentration of the locations and the way several bodies were found.
Some women were naked or partially clothed. Police have also said the circumstances surrounding a number of the discoveries show similarities.
Pistorius said the locations could be reached within about 30 minutes of one another. She also believes some of the women were killed elsewhere before their bodies were dumped.
Those factors, she said, support treating the cases as a possible serial murder investigation while detectives test the evidence.
FIRST CASE COULD HAVE CLOUDed THE EARLY PICTURE
Pistorius also questioned whether the arrest linked to the first case may have shaped the initial view of the murders.
Police found a 37-year-old woman near the R21 on 15 July. She had been restrained with cable ties. A man was arrested in connection with her murder.
Pistorius said one victim being killed by someone she knew would not automatically rule out a separate serial killer operating in the same area.
She referred to the Phoenix serial killer investigation, where a man dumped his girlfriend’s body in sugar-cane fields where serial killer Sipho Thwala was operating.
According to Pistorius, the man apparently hoped investigators would count her among Thwala’s victims.
Her point is that detectives must separate an unrelated murder from cases that share a genuine pattern.
WHY SHE DOES NOT BUY THE GROUP-KILLER THEORY
Pistorius also addressed speculation that several people could be working together. However, she considers that unlikely if the cases turn out to be serial murders.
She said serial killers usually operate alone, although rare cases involve one partner. Other offenders may kill repeatedly during robberies, trafficking, organised crime or other crimes, but their motives differ. And motive is key.
A robber may kill several people for money. A serial killer, she said, acts for an internal psychological reward tied to fantasy.
Profilers then look for a signature (behaviour that goes beyond what the offender needed to do to commit the murder). That can help investigators distinguish one offender’s behaviour from another.
DNA CAN LINK A SUSPECT, BUT DETECTIVES STILL HAVE TO FIND HIM
She further warned against treating DNA as the answer to the entire investigation. Forensic evidence can connect a suspect to a crime scene, but investigators first need to identify the person behind the DNA.
She used the Station Strangler case as an example.
Pistorius said investigators processed more than 2 000 suspects before the profile helped them identify the suspect.
She joined the Station Strangler task team soon after SAPS appointed her as its first psychological profiler in 1994. Her profile played a role in identifying the suspect, according to her professional biography.
STRANGER-ON-STRANGER CASES LEAVE FEWER LEADS
Her view is that serial murder cases become harder to solve when victims have no known connection to the offender.
Detectives cannot immediately start with a partner, relative or known associate. They first need to identify each victim and rebuild her final movements. That means finding out where she was last seen, how she travelled, who saw her and who may have approached her.
Investigators will also have to establish whether the women knew one another, she explained.
Five of the nine women still had no publicly confirmed identities by Friday morning, adding another hurdle to the investigation.
PUBLIC TIPS HAVE BROKEN SERIAL MURDER CASES BEFORE
Pistorius said members of the public can provide information that investigators may not get anywhere else.
During the Station Strangler investigation, she said a nurse named Romy alerted the team to a patient who matched the profile.
She also referred to the Moses Sithole investigation, where information from someone connected to Sithole helped investigators.
Pistorius urged people to report information even if they think it may seem minor.
HER WARNING TO WOMEN
Pistorius also issued practical advice while the investigation continues. She urged women not to walk alone, to share their live location and to trust their instincts.
She specifically warned women against being the last passenger to leave a taxi, referring to serial killer Lazarus Mazingane, who used transport to gain access to victims.
She also warned against assuming an attacker will appear threatening.
Pistorius cited Moses Sithole, saying serial killers can appear charming and approachable.
‘VIGILANCE’ MUST NOT TURN INTO VIGILANTISM
Fear around the Ekurhuleni killings is also feeding false leads, conspiracy theories and the risk of vigilante action.
Pistorius pointed to the Station Strangler investigation, when a mob surrounded a private home and tried to set it alight. Detectives had to reach the property by helicopter.
She warned that similar action could interfere with the current investigation and pull detectives away from genuine leads.
Residents should hand information to investigators rather than confront people they suspect, she said. False accusations can waste time and put innocent people at risk.
WHO IS MICKI PISTORIUS?
She trained detectives in criminal profiling and worked on serial murder investigations during her time in the police.
Her doctorate in psychology focused on serial killers in South Africa.
She later wrote Catch Me a Killer, which recounts cases including the Station Strangler and Phoenix Cane Killer. The book was later adapted into the television series of the same name.
The Investigative Psychology Unit she established is now part of the multidisciplinary team working on the Ekurhuleni cases. Pistorius said the team also includes murder and robbery detectives, forensic specialists and cyber investigators.