Police have confirmed that a severely decomposed woman's body was found yesterday morning at the Cradock Road dam below the Grahamstown Golf Course.
Police have confirmed that a severely decomposed woman's body was found yesterday morning at the Cradock Road dam below the Grahamstown Golf Course.
However, they have emphasised that there is no indication this case is linked to the two bodies found on the commonage opposite Joza earlier this month.
Grahamstown Crime Intelligence Officer Captain Milanda Coetzer said the body found yesterday was currently considered to have died from unnatural causes.
"A post-mortem will be used to determine the actual cause of death," Coetzer said. "This body and the circumstances will be investigated in terms of the Inquest Act 58 of 1959."
Coetzer said this was the only body found on the west of Grahamstown during the current spate of deaths. "The other (two) were found on the Joza plateau," she said.
Coetzer said the body was severely decomposed, but it could be determined that it was female.
She emphasised that there was no indication that either of the victims found near Joza had fallen prey to a serial killer and said that discussions circulating on social media about a supposed serial killer were more rumour-mongering than fact.
A national media organisation recently published a story that elaborated on what at the time were two deaths. Making unsubstantiated claims of other deaths, the story used the phrase "serial killer" and it was soon after it was published and shared online that rumours flared.
Of the body found yesterday, Coetzer said, "There is no indication on the scene of any similarity to that of the two bodies found murdered in Joza during September 2015."
She also said, "There is no indication that either of those victims fell prey to a 'serial killer'. However, the best detectives, previously based at Murder and Robbery branch, are working on tracing the suspect(s) involved in these killings in Joza.
"Common-sense security measures should remain in place for all women walking alone in the street, day or night, but more than that is not necessary," Coetzer said.
The dam where the body was found yesterday is in the veld between Cradock Heights and the Cradock Road (R350).
