Police in Dowa have launched a manhunt for a 30-year-old man, Lumbani Jere who is suspected to have beaten to death his 19-year-old wife, Mkalimbana Banda.

Dowa police spokesperson Gladson M’bumpha said on December 11, 2022, the suspect went to the village to visit his mother accompanied by his wife and his two-year-old step-daughter.

However, on the fateful day, the suspect went for jolly walk and on his return around evening, he started beating his wife.

“Upon seeing this, the suspect’s mother reprimanded him for the act, a thing which did not amuse the suspect who then started beating his mother as well. Her three grand-daughters tried to intervene to rescue their grandmother, but the suspect also assaulted them and they all fled.

“He then went back to his wife and continued assaulting her with sticks and she fell dead on the spot, while the husband escaped,” M’bumpha said.

He said the three girls on their way to report the matter to police, met a police patrol team and the officers rushed to the scene where they found the dead body lying in a kitchen.

The police officers, he said, left the scene to inform Criminal Investigations Officers and additional police officers but as they reported back, they found nobody at the scene, and the dead body and the stepdaughter were missing.

“Village Headman Thambwe immediately mobilised a search team but the dead body was only discovered the following morning abandoned about 500 metres away from the scene.

“The stepdaughter who was also taken by the suspect was also found abandoned at Njale trading centre and fortunately unharmed,” M’bumpha said.

Medical officers at Dowa District Hospital established after postmortem that severe head injuries and loss of blood caused the death.