A 40-year-old man who was accused of attempting to kill a homeless man has been released from police custody.
The man is said to have been arrested on Wednesday following a string of murders in Muckleneuk and Sunnyside.
Five bodies of homeless men were found over a period of three weeks, fuelling speculation that a serial killer was on the loose.
National Prosecution’s spokesperson Phindil Louw-Mjonondwane said the case could not be put on the court roll as the man had been arrested for longer than 48
hours.
“According to the law an accused person must appear before court within 48 hours of being arrested.”
“This is to afford the accused a fair judicial process.”
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Mjonondwane said it was found that the man had been arrested for longer than theprescribed period on Friday when he appeared in court.
Police spokesperson Captain Kay Makhubela said the man was arrested following “police investigations”.
The identities of three of the five dead men have since been confirmed by investigators.
Police spokesperson Captain Mavela Masondo said police could not divulge the ages or names of the identified men until their families were informed.
The victims were all male, middle-aged, and homeless and killed during the night.
Most of the victims sustained blunt force trauma to the head and stab wounds to the upper body.
A team of specialists from forensic services, including pathologists and criminal psychologists, crime intelligence, and detectives, have been tasked to investigate the cases.
Anyone with information can contact their nearest police station or call the crime stop
number 08600-10111.
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