The seven-year-old Murehwa boy, whose mutilated body was found being eaten by dogs, was kidnapped and murdered last week for ritual purposes, allegedly by a herder and two others who sold the body parts for US$1 500, police said yesterday.
Police yesterday arrested, Tafadzwa Shamba, on kidnap and murder charges and are now hunting down the two suspected accomplices.
National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi gave details of the progress of investigations yesterday.
“It is alleged that Tafadzwa Shamba, a herd boy in the same village as the victim, worked with the other suspects to waylay the victim in a garden. They took him to a mountain where they kept him for the whole day.
They then killed him at night and one of the other suspects, who is from Juru Growth Point, took away the head leaving the herd boy with the other body parts after promising to give him US$1 500 on coming back,” Asst Comm Nyathi said.
Police recovered the blood-stained clothes Shamba wore on the day he allegedly committed the crime.
Reports were that on Thursday last week Tapiwa, the boy, was sent by his parents to look after the garden.
The parents looked for him and were told that their son had been seen swimming.
The parents of a seven-year-old Murehwa boy are living a nightmare after their toddler was kidnapped and murdered last week for ritual purposes.
Police have so far arrested Tafadzwa Shamba who was one of the assailants who waylaid the seven-year-old boy before mutilating his body.
Shamba was found with blood-stained clothes which he wore on the day of the alleged crime.
“It is alleged that Tafadzwa Shamba, a herd boy in the same village with the victim, worked with the other suspects to waylay the victim at a garden,” police said in a statement.
“They took him to a mountain where they kept him for the whole day. They then killed him at night and one of the other suspects, who is from Juru Growth Point, took away the head leaving the herd boy with the other body parts after promising to give him US$1 500 on coming back.”
