2007-10-04Staff Report 2 "By Anna Shilongo WINDHOEK Three top serial murder investigators credited with resolving several similar cases in South Africa were this week seconded to Namibia to help in the 'B1 Butcher' case. The infamous 'B1 Butcher' is wanted in connection with three cases in which it is believed he lured three unsuspecting women to their deaths, after which he cut them into pieces with a butcher's precision, stuffing their bodies in refuse bags and dumping them. The three experts from South Africa arrived in Namibia on Monday and police psychological crime expert, Dr Gerard Labuschagne, renowned for his investigative work on serial killers, leads them. They will assist the local CID team piece together the complicated jigsaw puzzle. During their stay in the country, the three will conduct lectures for some members of the CID team trying to nail the sadistic 'B1 Butcher'. Labuschagne and his team has worked on many serial murders all over the world, and due to their expertise, the SAPS serial killer unit is said to have a 100 percent conviction rate for all serial murders that reach the prosecution stage. This is, however, not the first time Labuschagne is coming to Namibia. He was in the country shortly after the death of Sanna Helena //Garoes. After the death of //Garoes, the Namibian Police were ordered to form a task team to investigate all the murders pertaining to a serial killer(s). Spokesperson of the Namibian Police, Chief Inspector Angula Amulungu, yesterday confirmed the arrival of Labuschagne and his team. He, however, could not provide further details due to the sensitive nature of the probe. He appealed to members of the public to remain patient. ""I know there are some members of the public who have been sending messages to their hotlines that the police lack skills in solving problems, but I would like to make it clear that it's not only the police's responsibility to hunt down the killer, the public too have to perform their duty, crimes are committed in the communities and it's up to the public to assist us in our investigations,"" he said. He said since the murder of //Garoes, police officers have taken 57 statements from members of the public, 17 suspects were interrogated and nine houses searched. Amulungu said Namibia is a member of the Southern African Regional Police Chiefs Co-operation Organisation, (SARPCCO) which aims at promoting, strengthening and perpetuating co-operation and fostering joint strategies for the management of all forms of cross-border and related crimes with regional A N$110???_?_'???_?'???_???" 2007-10-04Staff Report 2
