A 48-year-old woman, identified as Mary Zinyero, was found dead in Dowa Hills on Monday, June 29, 2026, three days after she was reported missing.
Dowa Police Station Public Relations Officer, Sub Inspector Alice Sitima, confirmed the incident.
According to Sitima, Zinyero went missing on Friday, June 26, 2026, after she travelled to Dowa Hills with three friends to collect firewood. Her nephew, Jickson Leston, told police that at around 4:00 p.m., as the group prepared to return home, Zinyero asked her friends to wait while she collected more firewood.
She did not return, prompting concern among her companions.
“Family members and friends conducted a search but were unable to locate her until Monday, when they found her hanging in the forest,” Sitima said.
Police officers, accompanied by medical personnel, visited the scene. A postmortem examination established that the cause of death was suffocation secondary to strangulation, according to police.
Following the incident, Dowa Police have urged members of the public to seek guidance and support from relevant authorities, family members, or trusted individuals whenever they are experiencing personal challenges.
Mary Zinyero hailed from Kalipande Village under Traditional Authority Mkukula in Dowa District.
