William UNEK

Classification: Mass murderer
Characteristics: African police constable - Spree killer
Number of victims: 57
Date of murders: 1954 / 1957
Date of birth: ???
Victims profile: Men, women and children
Method of murder: Shooting - Hitting with ax - Fire
Location: Mahagi, Belgian Congo / Malampaka, Tanganyika
Status: Died from wounds suffered in a fire caused by the police on February 21, 1957

William Unek was an African police constable and mass murderer 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.

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