Woman murdered at a lodge after booking a room

A Harare woman was allegedly murdered at Mugoni Lodge in Harare's Kopje area on Sunday night after booking a room in the company of a male partner who disappeared from the scene.

Police confirmed the death of the woman believed to be in her early 30s and said they were investigating the suspected case of murder.

Police spokesperson Superintendent Blessmore Chishaka said the unidentified woman was found dead after she had booked a room at the lodge at the corner of Rotten Row and Bishop Gaul Avenue in the company of the partner.

Supt Chishaka said at around midnight, a security guard doing his rounds at the lodge discovered the door to the room she was occupying with her partner partially open and he investigated.

"The guard saw the deceased lying on the floor facing upwards and thought she was drunk only to later discover after trying to wake her up that she was dead," Supt Chishaka said.

The security guard notified the lodge management and a report was made to police.

Supt Chishaka said police attended the scene and further investigations revealed that the deceased had some scratches on her cheeks and neck and was bleeding from the nose.

"On being searched, the now deceased was found with a small note with foreign telephone numbers," he said.