South African police said Saturday that another woman’s body had been found near Johannesburg, bringing to 10 the number of victims in a series of killings under investigation, per the AP. Police began investigating after the bodies of three women were found in July and August within about 4.3 miles of one another in the Ekurhuleni municipality, east of Johannesburg. The discovery of six bodies in Ekurhuleni over 10 days earlier this month raised fears that a serial killer or killers were responsible.
Two women were arrested and charged last week with murder in relation to the ninth body, discovered on Sept. 17. The victim had been stabbed and had her throat cut, police said. Provincial police commissioner Lt. Gen. Tommy Mthombeni told state broadcaster SABC on Saturday that investigators believed the ninth killing was an isolated case but could not rule out the possibility that some of the other cases were linked. All nine of the bodies discovered before Saturday were those of women in their 20s or 30s, according to police. Several were naked or partially clothed and left in open areas near main roads. Police released limited details about the 10th body.