Fugitive Murder Suspect Arrested In Chiredzi After 3 Years On The Run
A 27-year-old suspected murder fugitive has been arrested in Chiredzi more than three years since he allegedly killed a Harare man for stealing his cash and clothes.
The suspect, Elton Pardon, allegedly committed the crime with his two friends, Wallen Mupunga and Masimba Makoto, who are now serving life sentences for killing one Tinotenda Mandiyanike.
ZimLive reported that Pardon was arraigned before Harare magistrate Dennis Mangosi charged with murder.
He was not asked to plead and was remanded to June 4 pending his indictment.
Prosecutor Thomas Chanakira told the court that on 22 May 2021 around midnight, Pardon and his accomplices assaulted Mandiyanike accusing him of having stolen Makoto’s US$400 cash, seven pairs of jean trousers and spanners. He said:
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The accused stuffed some cloth in the deceased’s mouth preventing him from shouting for help, and tied his hands and legs using shoelaces.
The trio allegedly severely assaulted Mandiyanike using electric cables, car jumpers, batons, open hands and also kicked him all over his body. He eventually admitted to stealing Makoto’s property.
They allegedly went further to force Mandiyanike to lead them to his residence where they intended to recover the stolen property. Read the court papers:
At around 8 AM, the accused took Mandiyanike into Makoto’s blue Mercedes Benz C180 with registration number ADI 7937 and went to the deceased’s residence where they conducted a search for the stolen property in the presence of the deceased’s sisters Miriam Mangozho and Vivian Mandiyanike but found nothing.
The accused took him back into their motor vehicle and drove off to Sunway City area where they continued assaulting him until he became unconscious.
They then drove to Windsor 24-hour Medical Clinic where they lied to Doctor Blessing Nyamvura that the deceased had been assaulted by a mob after stealing a cell phone.
At the hospital, the doctor checked Mandiyanike’s pulse but could not see any sign of life and he advised the accused to report the case to ZRP Ruwa.
Pardon and his accomplices allegedly drove off and later dumped the deceased’s body in Norton at a 62-kilometre peg along Harare-Bulawayo Road before escaping.
On the same date, the deceased’s body was discovered lying along the road by a certain motorist who then made a police report at ZRP Norton Traffic.
Police attended the scene and ferried the deceased body to Norton Hospital for postmortem.
On 11 August 2021, Makoto was arrested and he implicated Pardon and Mupunga as his accomplices.
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