MULTIPLE murder suspect Jaison Muvevi, who was being investigated for killing up to 10 people, has been cleared of six charges following ballistic tests.
Muvevi hogged the limelight in January following the Hwedza shooting rampage that led to the death of three people while two others escaped death by a whisker, before he fled to Mozambique, where he was captured.
A former police detective, Muvevi was also linked to another suspected murder that took place in November 2022 in Eastlea, Harare.
Police were keen to investigate whether he was involved in six other unsolved murder cases that took place in Harare and Chitungwiza since 2020.
Muvevi’s suspected murder weapon was taken for ballistic tests about a month ago to try to link the forensic evidence to these six cold cases.
However, it has emerged that the ballistic tests did not match Muvevi’s murder weapon in the six cases.
National police spokesperson, Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi, confirmed that the four alleged murder counts and two attempted murder charges are what remain on Muvevi’s charge sheet.
“I can confirm that on Muvevi’s charges, he remains facing four counts of murder and two counts of attempted murder,” Asst Comm Nyathi said.
A police source close to the investigations said: “The results from the forensic ballistic analysis did not match his weapon. So, automatically he was cleared of the six suspected murder cases.
“The situation is still the same in terms of his other charges. So, he is still facing four counts of murder and two counts of attempted murder.”
The 42-year-old is presently before the courts after he allegedly gunned down three people — a senior police officer, a bartender and faith healer — in Hwedza on January 13.
Police believe Muvevi used the same weapon to fatally shoot Nyarai Round in Eastlea on November 19 in 2022.
His attempted murder charges arose after he also allegedly shot and injured a police officer during the Hwedza shootings, before he fired at another man in Mutare, whom he narrowly missed, while on the run.
On Monday, Muvevi appeared before Harare magistrate Mr Dennis Mangosi for routine remand and was further remanded in custody to March 6. – Sunday Mail
