News / National
Death sentence for Zimbabwean security guard
21 Mar 2012 at 08:05hrs | Views
A CHINHOYI security guard who killed his teenage sister-in-law was last Friday sentenced to death.
Chris Chakuforo abducted Esther Nyarai Kamupini from Murindagomo Village and strangled her before dumping the corpse in an 18 metre deep disused mineshaft.
After spending seven years looking for the girl, her 68-year-old grandmother had a dream that the girl had been killed and her corpse was dumped in a particular mine shaft.
The old woman made a police report and investigations led to the arrest of Chakuforo, who was at the time detained at Chinhoyi Police Station, for allegedly damaging his employer's property.
Chakuforo later led the police to the mineshaft where the girl's remains were found.
Justice Samuel Kudya imposed a death penalty on Chakuforo after convicting him of murder with actual intent. The court could not find extenuating circumstances in the case to warrant the man to escape the hangman's noose.
The court heard that on March 15, 2003, Chakuforo visited his former in-laws' homestead at Murindagomo Village Kenzamba in Chinhoyi.
He asked for Esther who had gone to the river to fetch sand to clean kitchen utensils. Chakuforo was once married to the girl's sister and there were reports that he was now having an affair with the young girl.
He followed the girl to the river where he first met the girl's younger sister and was directed to where Esther was. That was the last time Esther was seen. Villagers conducted a search for a long time without success.
Chakuforo was later summoned to a village court where he told the gathering that he had intentions to marry the girl as a second wife.
He lied that he had taken Esther to his sister in Raffingora. The court ordered Chakuforo to immediately bring the girl back, but that is when he vanished from the village.
He went to Mutorashanga where he worked as a security guard at a farm.
Seven years later, Mrs Pauline Mupfiti, the girl's grandmother, reportedly had a dream in which the girl's father informed her that the girl had been killed and that her body was dumped in a mineshaft in Mutorashanga.
Police investigations led to the arrest of Chakuforo. He led the police to the mineshaft where the girl's remains were found. Her clothes were positively identified.
Upon being quizzed by the police, Chakuforo confessed to strangling the girl with the assistance of another man. During his trial, Chakuforo made a U-turn and denied killing the girl.
He even denied ever confessing to either the police or the village court.
He denied any involvement in the disappearance and death of the girl. Automatically Chakuforo is entitled to appeal against the outcome at the Supreme Court and if the decision is upheld, he might join the 54 others who are still on death row.
Chris Chakuforo abducted Esther Nyarai Kamupini from Murindagomo Village and strangled her before dumping the corpse in an 18 metre deep disused mineshaft.
After spending seven years looking for the girl, her 68-year-old grandmother had a dream that the girl had been killed and her corpse was dumped in a particular mine shaft.
The old woman made a police report and investigations led to the arrest of Chakuforo, who was at the time detained at Chinhoyi Police Station, for allegedly damaging his employer's property.
Chakuforo later led the police to the mineshaft where the girl's remains were found.
Justice Samuel Kudya imposed a death penalty on Chakuforo after convicting him of murder with actual intent. The court could not find extenuating circumstances in the case to warrant the man to escape the hangman's noose.
The court heard that on March 15, 2003, Chakuforo visited his former in-laws' homestead at Murindagomo Village Kenzamba in Chinhoyi.
He asked for Esther who had gone to the river to fetch sand to clean kitchen utensils. Chakuforo was once married to the girl's sister and there were reports that he was now having an affair with the young girl.
He followed the girl to the river where he first met the girl's younger sister and was directed to where Esther was. That was the last time Esther was seen. Villagers conducted a search for a long time without success.
Chakuforo was later summoned to a village court where he told the gathering that he had intentions to marry the girl as a second wife.
He lied that he had taken Esther to his sister in Raffingora. The court ordered Chakuforo to immediately bring the girl back, but that is when he vanished from the village.
He went to Mutorashanga where he worked as a security guard at a farm.
Seven years later, Mrs Pauline Mupfiti, the girl's grandmother, reportedly had a dream in which the girl's father informed her that the girl had been killed and that her body was dumped in a mineshaft in Mutorashanga.
Police investigations led to the arrest of Chakuforo. He led the police to the mineshaft where the girl's remains were found. Her clothes were positively identified.
Upon being quizzed by the police, Chakuforo confessed to strangling the girl with the assistance of another man. During his trial, Chakuforo made a U-turn and denied killing the girl.
He even denied ever confessing to either the police or the village court.
He denied any involvement in the disappearance and death of the girl. Automatically Chakuforo is entitled to appeal against the outcome at the Supreme Court and if the decision is upheld, he might join the 54 others who are still on death row.
Source - news
