Cops catch murder suspect after five months on the run
Having successfully evaded the police for over five months, a suspected killer’s luck finally ran out over the weekend when he was tracked down by the boys in blue.
Michael Abaleng Itumeleng, 22, is accused of the gruesome murder of a 50-year-old woman whose dead body was found in Molapowabojang village on December 2nd, 2024, two days after her husband reported her missing.
She was discovered in a house still under construction, reportedly with cables tied around her throat and hands. According to sources, the victim, a Zimbabwean native, left home on November 30th to sell peanuts around the village.
However, her husband, 66, grew worried when she never returned that evening, which was out-of-character for her, as she never slept away from home. “He tried to call his wife, but her cellphone did not go through,” revealed the source, adding the worried husband alerted the police early the next morning.
Confirming the latest development, Botswana Police Service Public Relations Officer (PRO), Assistant Commissioner Near Bagali described Itumeleng’s arrest as a ‘significant breakthrough’.
“The arrest follows intensive police investigations initially focusing on a report of a missing person, which subsequently twisted into a murder case,” disclosed the Assistant Commissioner in a Press Release on Wednesday.
The top cop further revealed Itumeleng was captured on Sunday (May 4th) and appeared before Lobatse Magistrates Court on Tuesday, where he was remanded in custody.
It is alleged he confessed to the brutal murder during interrogation but claims there was a second man involved. The suspect reportedly led officers to the crime scene, allegedly also handing over the dead woman’s phone as well as the wheelbarrow used to transport her corpse.
