Rwanda arrests alleged serial killer who hid bodies in kitchen

KIGALI, Rwanda

Rwanda has arrested an alleged serial killer responsible for the murder of about a dozen people, authorities and local media reported on Thursday.

The suspect, 34, who was arrested on Tuesday in Kanombe, a suburb of the capital Kigali, is alleged to have been killing people and dumping their bodies in a mass grave in the kitchen of his rented home, said Thierry Murangira, spokesperson of the Rwanda Investigation Bureau.

“Preliminary investigation shows that the suspect had dug a ditch in his kitchen, where he used to bury bodies of his victims but the exact number of victims can be known after investigations,” Murangira told Anadolu.

The suspect told investigators he used to lure his victims, mainly sex workers, from bars, raped and robbed them of mobile phones before strangling them, according to Murangira.

Local media reports indicated the suspect could have murdered around 12 people by the time of his arrest.

Emmanuel Nizeyimana, a local government official, said the suspect had previously been arrested over theft of money and mobile phones.

Augustin Shyirambere, the landlord of the suspected serial killed, said that he always faced challenges accessing his property for routine inspections until he reported the matter to local authorities.

“He [suspect] occupied the house in April 2022, initially paying rent well but he later changed and started to delay his payments giving varying excuses,” Shyirambere told Anadolu.

He added that by the time of arrest, the suspect had defaulted on rent for about seven months and also ignored eviction orders.