BREAKING: Police make breakthrough in Dawn Park murder case

The spate of killings has raised fears of a serial predator operating on Gauteng's East Rand. Gauteng police have struck a major breakthrough in the chilling series of women’s murders, arresting three suspects in connection with the ninth victim, a move the South African Police Service (Saps) says signals its relentless drive to bring the killers to justice. The semi-naked body of Gracious Nkomo was found on the streets of Dawn Park last week, wrapped in a sheet, adding to growing concerns surrounding the recent discovery of women’s bodies. The family of 28‑year‑old Nkomo confirmed she is among the women brutally murdered in Ekurhuleni. Police spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe said Nkomo’s family identified her at the Germiston Mortuary. Body identified Nkomo’s family on Thursday, 17 September 2026, positively identified her as one of the women whose bodies were discovered along the R21 in Kempton Park. The series of murders, which has sent shockwaves throughout the country, claimed the lives of five women in Kempton Park, two in Olifantsfontein, one in Kwathema, and one in Dawn Park. Arrest “Three suspects, comprising one man and two women, were arrested over the weekend by members of the Gauteng Murder and Robbery Unit in connection with the murder,” Mathe said. Mathe said the trio is expected to appear today before the Boksburg Park Magistrates’ Court. Investigations Acting Saps National Commissioner Lieutenant General Puleng Dimpane said police are seized with all nine murder cases, with each case receiving priority attention. “We remain committed to ensuring that these investigations are pursued with the urgency and determination they require. Our investigators are following all available leads and are working tirelessly to bring those responsible to justice,” said Dimpane. Mathe said further details regarding the case will be ventilated in court today. Tenth body Meanwhile, the Saps in Gauteng have opened an inquest after the grim discovery of a young woman’s body in Soweto. According to police, the woman’s body was wrapped in a duvet and dumped in a dam at Moroka on Sunday evening. This is the tenth body discovered in Gauteng in recent months. However, it remains unclear if it is linked to the spate of murders in Ekurhuleni. Police spokesperson Colonel Dimakatso Nevhuhulwi said the body was discovered at 5pm. “The victim is estimated to be in her twenties. The circumstances surrounding the incident are unknown at this stage.” Ekurhuleni murders Acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia says investigators have yet to confirm the presence of a serial killer in Ekurhuleni – but with nine women murdered in recent months, the possibility cannot be ruled out. The spate of killings has raised fears of a serial predator operating in Gauteng’s east, where detectives are probing whether the cases are linked. Adding to the alarm, Ekurhuleni has now been revealed as the province’s hotspot for kidnappings, compounding public safety concerns in the region. Serial killer Cachalia said three people have been brought in for questioning, but investigations so far have not “confirmed conclusively that we are dealing with a serial killer” on the loose. “All the cases are not necessarily linked, and there is some indication of different modus operandi and motives. But nothing yet has been excluded while investigations are ongoing,” Cachalia said.