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William Unek

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William Unek
Bornc. 1929 (1929)
Protectorate of Uganda
Died20 February 1957 (aged 27–28)
Mwanza, Tanganyika Territory
Cause of deathSevere burns from a smoke bomb thrown by police
Other namesWilliam Uneko
OccupationConstable
Details
Victims
  • 57 killed
  • 30 injured
Span of crimes
1954–1957
CountryBelgian Congo
Tanganyika Territory
Target(s)Random strangers
WeaponsAxe
Knife
Lee-Enfield Rifle

William Unek (c. 1929 – 20 February 1957) was a Ugandan police constable and serial mass murderer who killed a total of 57 people in two separate spree killings three years apart.

Murder sprees

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Unek, a Ugandan national and one of the Acholi people,[1][2] committed his first murder spree near Mahagi, Belgian Congo in 1954, where he killed 21 people with an axe within an hour and a half, before escaping and finally ending up in the Tanganyika Territory.[3][4] The motive was never ascertained.

Apparently because of unspecified social misunderstandings with his boss,[5] Unek went on a second rampage which began in the early hours of 11 February 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 (64 km) 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.[6][7][8] He then changed out of his police uniform into clothes stolen from one of his victims and fled. Among the dead was reportedly his wife, whom he killed in their hut before setting it on fire,[9] as well as the wife of a police sergeant.[10]

Manhunt and death

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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.[6][11]

Despite the extensive search operation, including dogs and aircraft,[12] and a posted reward of $350,[13] Unek eluded his pursuers until he finally showed up at the house of Iyumbu ben Ikumbu, who lived only 2 miles (3.2 km) away from Malampaka, in search of food. When Iyumbu reported the incident to the 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 1:00 a.m. the next day. Iyumbu, sending his wife to the 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, severely injured when attempting to evade capture, later succumbed to his wounds in Mwanza Hospital,[7][14][15] dying on 20 February.[2] Iyumbu later received a financial reward of £125,[16] as well as the British Empire Medal for his bravery leading to the capture of the constable.[17][18]

Aftermath

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As response to the murders, a fund was created to help the descendants of those killed[19] and a maternity clinic was built as a memorial for Unek's victims.[20]

His rampage ranks among the deadliest of the twentieth century.[21] At the time, his 1957 rampage was the deadliest mass shooting in recorded history until the 1982 Woo Bum-kon incident.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Runs Amok And Kills 16 Persons". Medicine Hat News. Reuters. 13 February 1957. Retrieved 1 June 2023.
  2. ^ a b "Telegrams in Brief". The Times. No. 53, 771. 21 February 1957.
  3. ^ The Times (28 March 1957)
  4. ^ itscshii (2021-01-09). "The African Berserker: William Unek". Colour Of Crime. Retrieved 2022-07-19.
  5. ^ Madulu, Ndalahwa F.: Changing Lifestyles in Farming Societies of Sukumaland: Kwimba District, Tanzania; Afrika-Studiecentrum, Leiden (1998) (p. 25)
  6. ^ a b African killer still at large, The Times (16 February 1957)
  7. ^ a b "Supplement to the London Gazette" (PDF). London Gazette. October 4, 1957.
  8. ^ Berserk Slayer of 36 Sought, The New York Times (17 February 1957)
  9. ^ "A place where no vulture fly". The Singapore Free Press. March 1, 1957.
  10. ^ 32nd slaying, The Ottawa Citizen (14 February 1957)
  11. ^ "Mass Killer Caught". The Straits Times. February 21, 1957.
  12. ^ Constable Runs Amok In Africa, Kills 32, Corpus Christi Times (February 14, 1957)
  13. ^ Murders 32, Greensburg Daily News (February 13, 1957)
  14. ^ Greatest Murderer In Criminal History, Lethbridge Herald (March 30, 1957)
  15. ^ "News in Brief". The Times. 1957-03-22.
  16. ^ Reward for Courage, East Africa and Rhodesia, Volume 33; London, (March 21, 1957)
  17. ^ George Medal for African Constable, East Africa And Rhodesia, Volume 34; London, (October 24, 1957)
  18. ^ A Royal Reward, Jet (January 9, 1958)
  19. ^ News Items in Brief; East Africa and Rhodesia, Volume 33; London, (April 25, 1957)
  20. ^ Annual Report of the Provincial Commissioners for the year 1958; Government Printer, 1959.
  21. ^ "World's greatest killer may be insane African". The Province. Vancouver, Canada. 1957-03-28. p. 3.
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