William Unek

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William Unek († February 1957 ) was an African mass murderer who killed 57 people in two separate rampages in the Belgian Congo and the British trust territory of Tanganyika . Unek worked as a police constable for the Belgian colonial authorities .

Life

The crime

Unek worked as a police constable or police soldier in the Belgian Congo . On January 1, 1954, he murdered 21 people with an ax during his first rampage near Mahagi . He then fled to the under trusteeship of the United Nations standing British Tanganyika - today's Tanzania .

Apparently it was differences of opinion with his superiors that caused Unek to go on a second rampage in the early morning hours of February 11, 1957. Equipped with a stolen police gun of the type Lee-Enfield , 50 rounds of ammunition and an ax again he began in Malampaka , a village about 65 kilometers south-east of Mwanza . Within twelve hours, Unek shot ten men, eight women and eight children, killed five other men with an ax, stabbed another, burned two women and a child and strangled a 15-year-old girl. A total of 36 people fell victim to him. Among the dead was his own wife, whom he had killed in the shared hut. Then he set the building on fire. He also killed the wife of a police sergeant.

Hunt for Unek

After the second rampage, William Unek changed his police uniform for clothes he had stolen from his victims. He then fled and was searched for nine days by members of the Wasukuma tribe , police officers and possibly a company of the King's African Rifles . It was the largest manhunt in Tanganyika's history up to that point.

Although tracking dogs and airplanes were used and a reward of 350 dollars was offered, Unek initially managed to evade access by his pursuers. In search of food he finally turned up at Lymumbu ben Ikumu, who lived only about three kilometers outside of Malampaka. When Iymumbu reported this to the police, they asked him to stop Unek in the event of his return, to look after him in his house and at the same time to inform the law enforcement officers. In fact, the criminal - still armed - paid him another visit the next day at 1 a.m. Iymumbu sent his wife to alert the police. In the meantime he gave Unek something to eat and engaged him in a conversation for almost two hours until the police showed up. Then he fled his hut and a superintendent threw a smoke grenade into it, causing the house to catch fire. William Unek was wounded trying to escape arrest again. He later succumbed to his injuries in hospital.

Lymumbu ben Ikumu received financial compensation of £ 125 and was awarded the British Empire Medal for his courage .

Commemoration

As a result of the murders, a fundraising campaign was started to help the relatives of those killed. A maternity hospital was also built in honor of Unek's victims.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ The Times, March 28, 1957
  2. ↑ Changing Lifestyles in Farming Societies of Sukumaland: Kwimba District, Tanzania (PDF; 155 kB) by Ndalahwa F. Madulu, p. 25, from the Africa Study Center in Leiden and the Institute of Resource Assessment in Dar es Salaam
  3. ↑ a b The Times : African killer still at large of February 16, 1957
  4. ↑ a b London Gazette  (Supplement). No. 41193, HMSO, London, October 8, 1957, p. 5818 ( PDF , accessed October 10, 2013, English).
  5. ^ The New York Times : Berserk Slayer of 36 Sought, February 17, 1957
  6. ^ The Singapore Free Press : A place where no vulture fly, March 1, 1957
  7. ↑ The Ottawa Citizen : 32nd slaying, February 14, 1957
  8. ↑ The Straits Times : Mass Killer Caught, February 21, 1957
  9. ^ Corpus Christi Times : Constable Runs Amok In Africa, Kills 32, February 14, 1957
  10. ^ Greensburg Daily News : Murders 32 of February 13, 1957
  11. ↑ Lethbridge Herald : Greatest Murderer In Criminal History, March 30, 1957
  12. ^ Reward for Courage from "East Africa and Rhodesia, Volume 33", Africana, 1957 ( Google Books )
  13. ↑ George Medal for African Constable from "East Africa and Rhodesia, Volume 33", Africana, 1957 ( Google Books )
  14. ↑ Jet : A Royal Reward, January 9, 1958 ( Google Books )
  15. ↑ News items in letter from "East Africa and Rhodesia, Volume 33", Africana, 1957 ( Google Books )
  16. ↑ Annual Report of the Provincial Commissioners for the year 1958 of Tanganyika. Provincial Commissioners, Government Printer, 1959.
personal data
SURNAME Unek, William
BRIEF DESCRIPTION African mass murderer
DATE OF BIRTH 19th century or 20th century
DATE OF DEATH February 1957