A Rwandan man named Denis Kazungu, aged 34, pleaded guilty on Thursday to the murder of 14 people after authorities discovered a group of bodies buried in a hole inside his kitchen.
Kazungu faced several charges, including murder, rape, forgery, impersonation, and desecration of human remains. During a crowded court hearing in Kigali, he acknowledged the accuracy of the prosecution’s allegations.
Kazungu had been taken into custody earlier this month when the police uncovered 12 bodies, mostly women, in a pit inside his rented home in a Kigali suburb where he resided alone.
According to a prosecutor, Kazungu admitted to killing 14 individuals, dissolving two of his victims. The whereabouts of the other two victims remained unknown.
His modus operandi involved luring victims from bars to his residence, launching sudden attacks with blunt objects, restraining them, undressing them, and confiscating their belongings. He coerced them into revealing their phone passwords, from which he withdrew money before taking their lives and disposing of their bodies in the hole.
Some victims managed to escape and provided crucial information to the police regarding the assaults.
Kazungu requested that the court conduct his trial in private, citing the gravity of his crimes and a desire to prevent media coverage from inspiring others to emulate his actions.
However, the judge ruled that the case would continue to be heard in public. A decision on bail is set to be made during a hearing scheduled for September 26.
Kazungu had initially been arrested in July on suspicion of robbery and rape, among other offenses, but was released on bail due to insufficient evidence, according to the police.
Upon his arrest in early September, Kazungu reportedly confessed to learning his methods, primarily targeting sex workers, by watching films about infamous serial killers. Media reports also indicated that he had held various jobs, including working as an English teacher.