William Unek
Encyclopedia
William Unek was an African police
constable
and mass murder
er who killed a total of 57 people in two separate spree killings
three years apart.
His first murder spree occurred near Mahagi, Belgian Congo
in 1954, where he killed 21 people with an axe, before escaping and finally ending up in Tanganyika
.
Apparently because of social misunderstandings with his boss, Unek went on a second rampage which began in the early hours of February 11, 1957. Armed with a stolen police rifle, 50 rounds of ammunition and an axe, he started killing people in the area of Malampaka, a village about 40 miles southeast of Mwanza
.
Within twelve hours Unek shot dead ten men, eight women and eight children, murdered five more men with the axe, stabbed another one, burned two women and a child and strangled a 15-year-old girl, thus killing a total of 36 people, before fleeing.
For nine days Unek was sought by Wasukuma tribesmen, police, and eventually a company of the King's African Rifles
in Tanganyika's greatest manhunt up to that time.
Despite the extensive search operation, including dogs and aircraft, and a posted reward of $350, Unek eluded his pursuers, until he finally showed up at the house of a certain Iyumbu, who lived only two miles away from Malampaka, in search for food. When Iyumbu reported the incident to police, he was asked to keep Unek with him and notify them, should the killer come again to his home. Unek, still armed, reappeared at about 1 a.m. the next day. Iyumbu, sending his wife to police, gave Unek food and engaged in a conversation with him for nearly two hours until help arrived. At that point Iyumbu ran out of his house whereupon a Police Superintendent threw a smoke bomb
, setting the house on fire. Unek, injured when attempting to evade capture, later succumbed to his wounds in hospital.
Police
The police is a personification of the state designated to put in practice the enforced law, protect property and reduce civil disorder in civilian matters. Their powers include the legitimized use of force...
constable
Constable
A constable is a person holding a particular office, most commonly in law enforcement. The office of constable can vary significantly in different jurisdictions.-Etymology:...
and mass murder
Mass murder
Mass murder is the act of murdering a large number of people , typically at the same time or over a relatively short period of time. According to the FBI, mass murder is defined as four or more murders occurring during a particular event with no cooling-off period between the murders...
er who killed a total of 57 people in two separate spree killings
Spree killer
A spree killer is someone who embarks on a murderous assault on two or more victims in a short time in multiple locations. The U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics defines a spree killing as "killings at two or more locations with almost no time break between murders."-Definition:According to the...
three years apart.
His first murder spree occurred near Mahagi, Belgian Congo
Belgian Congo
The Belgian Congo was the formal title of present-day Democratic Republic of the Congo between King Leopold II's formal relinquishment of his personal control over the state to Belgium on 15 November 1908, and Congolese independence on 30 June 1960.-Congo Free State, 1884–1908:Until the latter...
in 1954, where he killed 21 people with an axe, before escaping and finally ending up in Tanganyika
Tanganyika
Tanganyika , later formally the Republic of Tanganyika, was a sovereign state in East Africa from 1961 to 1964. It was situated between the Indian Ocean and the African Great Lakes of Lake Victoria, Lake Malawi and Lake Tanganyika...
.
Apparently because of social misunderstandings with his boss, Unek went on a second rampage which began in the early hours of February 11, 1957. Armed with a stolen police rifle, 50 rounds of ammunition and an axe, he started killing people in the area of Malampaka, a village about 40 miles southeast of Mwanza
Mwanza
Mwanza is a mid-sized port city on the southern shores of Lake Victoria in northwestern Tanzania. With an urban population of 1.2 million and a metropolitan population of 2 million, it is Tanzania's second largest city, following Dar es Salaam and ahead of other major Tanzanian cities of Arusha,...
.
Within twelve hours Unek shot dead ten men, eight women and eight children, murdered five more men with the axe, stabbed another one, burned two women and a child and strangled a 15-year-old girl, thus killing a total of 36 people, before fleeing.
For nine days Unek was sought by Wasukuma tribesmen, police, and eventually a company of the King's African Rifles
King's African Rifles
The King's African Rifles was a multi-battalion British colonial regiment raised from the various British possessions in East Africa from 1902 until independence in the 1960s. It performed both military and internal security functions within the East African colonies as well as external service as...
in Tanganyika's greatest manhunt up to that time.
Despite the extensive search operation, including dogs and aircraft, and a posted reward of $350, Unek eluded his pursuers, until he finally showed up at the house of a certain Iyumbu, who lived only two miles away from Malampaka, in search for food. When Iyumbu reported the incident to police, he was asked to keep Unek with him and notify them, should the killer come again to his home. Unek, still armed, reappeared at about 1 a.m. the next day. Iyumbu, sending his wife to police, gave Unek food and engaged in a conversation with him for nearly two hours until help arrived. At that point Iyumbu ran out of his house whereupon a Police Superintendent threw a smoke bomb
Smoke bomb
A smoke bomb is a firework designed to produce smoke upon ignition. Smoke bombs are useful to military units, airsoft games, paintball games, self defense and pranks...
, setting the house on fire. Unek, injured when attempting to evade capture, later succumbed to his wounds in hospital.
External links
- 32nd slaying, The Ottawa Citizen (February 14, 1957)
- Hunt crazed killer of 36, The Windsor Daily Star (February 16, 1957)
- Other parts – Dar Es Salaam, The Calgary Herald (February 19, 1957)
- Said greatest murderer in criminal history, Saskatoon Star-Phoenix (March 28, 1957)
- Mordender Polizist, Hamburger AbendblattHamburger AbendblattThe Hamburger Abendblatt is a daily newspaper in Hamburg, Germany, published by Axel Springer AG. The paper used to appear Monday through Saturday only, but since 29 October 2006 it has also published a Sunday edition to compete with the Hamburger Morgenpost's introduction of a Sunday edition...
(March 28, 1957)