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In South Africa, a 49-year-old woman was arrested for allegedly organizing the deaths of her relatives, including her husband and three children, in order to cash out on insurance claims.
After family members raised concerns, the woman was apprehended as part of an intelligence operation.
On Friday, November 17, 2023, she will make her first appearance in the Mmabatho Magistrate’s Court.
According to National South African Police Service (SAPS) spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe, Sergeant Keshi Mabunda and a team of detectives have been working on the case for the past two months after receiving a tip from the suspect’s relatives.
Mabunda was roped in to kick-start investigations due to his expertise in solving similar cases.
She explained that the body of one of the woman’s relatives was exhumed, and a forensic team was able to link the dots.
“The murder that was initially ruled a ‘natural death’ happened in Mmabatho in the North West, where a female relative died under mysterious circumstances in March 2023. Investigations have revealed that the suspect fraudulently took out insurance on behalf of her relative prior to her murder,” Mathe said.
She added that the team is also investigating the deaths of the suspect’s son, who died in July 2023, her husband, who died in 2016, and her two daughters, who died in 2015 and 2005.
“The suspect has, according to investigations, pocketed large amounts of money throughout her activities,” Mathe said.
The suspect was apprehended this morning in Centurion during a take-down operation led by the SAPS in conjunction and full cooperation with an insurance company.
Mathe also asked insurance firms and families to be more careful and on the lookout for such illicit activity.
She advised people should call Crime Stoppers at 086 001 0111 or go to their local police station, where they will be assigned to a detective.
