Arusha Police Arrest Suspect in Maid’s Brutal Murder

Arusha Police Arrest Suspect in Murder and Rape of Housemaid

March 6, 2025 - Arusha

The Arusha Regional Police Force has apprehended Emmanuel Charles Mollel, a 25-year-old resident of Arumeru District, in connection with the brutal murder of a 17-year-old housemaid, whose identity is being withheld for privacy reasons.

Senior Assistant Commissioner of Police (SACP) Justine Masejo, the Police Commander for the region, confirmed the arrest and detailed the sequence of events in a statement issued on March 6, 2025.

According to SACP Masejo, the tragic incident occurred on March 1, 2025, when the suspect allegedly attacked the young woman using a sharp object, raped her, and subsequently strangled her. The victim succumbed to her injuries while receiving treatment at the Mount Meru Regional Hospital in Arusha.

The victim, a recent arrival from Singida, had only been employed by her employer, Jenifa Esau, on February 18, 2025, to assist with child-rearing while Esau was at work. Esau described the victim as a young woman who had only been with her for less than two weeks before the devastating incident.

"I received a phone call from my sister at 1:00 PM informing me that the housemaid had gone missing along with her bag," Esau recalled. "When I rushed home to check, I was horrified to find the young woman seriously injured and later confirmed dead."

Esau explained that after receiving the distressing news, she hurried home, where she discovered the maid unconscious and covered in blood, showing clear signs of a violent attack. "She was severely beaten, raped, and stabbed in several places. She was still alive when we found her and was gesturing for help with her hands," Esau said, her voice filled with anguish.

She continued, "We immediately raised the alarm, and neighbors rushed to assist. We tried to take her to the police and then to the hospital, but she passed away on the way."

Upon the arrival of the authorities and following the collection of the victim's body, Esau and her family began their investigation into the perpetrator. A blood trail led them to a neighboring room, the residence of the suspect’s cousin, Emmanuel Mollel. Upon breaking down the door to investigate, they found the room drenched in blood, with evidence suggesting a violent struggle. It was clear to Esau that Mollel, who was the only person living nearby and who had not been seen since the incident, was likely involved.

Further suspicions arose after Esau's sister, Judika Maiko, the suspect's mother, revealed that Mollel had been at her house earlier in the day before the crime occurred. "I left to do some hairdressing, and when I returned, my nephew was crying. I decided to take him, leaving the housemaid to continue her work. Upon my return later in the evening, I found the door open, but the housemaid was nowhere to be found," Maiko explained.

She added that the family had no choice but to report Mollel to the police after they connected the blood evidence and his suspicious absence from the scene.