Police Investigate Brutal Murders of Mother and Daughter in Gutu
GUTU – Last week, police discovered the decomposing bodies of 33-year-old Mery Chirume and her four-year-old daughter, Fadzai Machote, who were brutally murdered in their Makurumidze Village home in Gutu.
The motive behind the killings is still unclear and authorities are investigating the circumstances surrounding the deaths.
Masvingo Provincial Spokesperson Inspector, Kudakwashe Dhewa,
appealed for information, citing the need for public assistance in solving the case.
“We urge anyone with information to come forward and assist us in bringing the perpetrator to justice,” Dhewa said.
As part of the investigation, police revealed that Chirume and her daughter had last been seen alive when they visited Chirume’s sister-in-law, Cecilia Mavhima, in a nearby village.
They returned home the following day, but their lives were brutally cut short.
On March 4, 2025, Mavhima sent her 16-year-old daughter to check on Chirume and her daughter. The girl found the doors locked and no response to her knocks. She then entered the kitchen hut, where she discovered Chirume’s body in a pool of blood.
Meanwhile, the police investigation is ongoing, with officers canvassing the area and interviewing potential witnesses.
The police are also reviewing forensic evidence collected from the crime scene.
The girl alerted Josephine Utaunashe, a neighbour, who, along with other villagers, went to the scene and found Chirume’s lifeless body.
However, the toddler was missing and a search ensued. Tragically, the little girl’s body was found floating in a disused open well about 1.5 meters behind the kitchen.
The bodies were taken to Gutu Mission Hospital for postmortem.
