Maier murder suspect still on the run

namib times 21-07-15

More than a week since a tour guide was murdered and robbed at the Lianshulu village, the police in the Zambezi Region are yet to recover the stolen cash and

arrest a fourth suspect in the matter. The suspect, whose name has not yet been made public by the Namibian Police Force (NamPol), forms part of the group

of four men who robbed the 42-year-old Maier and his Swiss girlfriend of N$13 000; Botswana Pula 300; South African Rands 200; two iPhones; a laptop;

camera and other items on 10 July 2015.

Yesterday, Zambezi Regional Police Commander Boniface Mukendwa told Nampa investigations are at a critical stage.

He said police officers are still searching for the suspect, who is on the run with his unidentified wife.
Mukendwa added that the money and laptop stolen from Maier and his girlfriend have also not yet been recovered.

“I cannot really divulge information at this stage of the investigation. All I can say is that investigations into the matter are progressing well and I believe an arrest is imminent,” he said.

The couple were attacked while camping in the bush at Lianshulu. The couple were asleep when two men wearing balaclavas and armed with knives tore open their tent and kidnapped them between 01:30 and 02:00.

The robbers tied them up and ordered them into their vehicle, which later got stuck in the bush, after which the men started searching the vehicle and found cash and other items.

Before escaping on foot, one of the robbers pulled the woman from the vehicle in an attempt to rape her, but Maier managed to free himself and defended her, and in the process a fight ensued between the men.
During the fight, Maier was stabbed five times in the stomach, chest and back and when the robbers saw he was getting weak, they ran off.

The woman only managed to find help after 06:00, when she walked into a camp of the Namibian Special Field Force in the area.

Three men – Walter Lwen-

do Lupalezwi, 34; Ndozi

Ndozi, 21; and Harris Siji-

wa, 29 – have since appeared before Magistrate

Karl Muyeghu in Katima

Mulilo, on two counts of

robbery with aggravating

circumstances, indecent

exposure, kidnapping and murder. Muyeghu remanded them in custody after postponing the matter to 19 October this year.

NAMPA