A man suspected to have mental health challenges, Vincent Chirwa, has been arrested by Police in Kasungu for allegedly killing his wife, Deborah Kaluwa, aged 25, on Wednesday, at Chinkhoma Trading Centre.

Kasungu Police Spokesperson, Joseph Kachikho, confirmed the incident, saying the couple had been living in Mzimba and were travelling to Zomba to seek help from a prophet due to the husband’s suspected mental illness at the time the tragedy occurred.

According to Kachikho, the couple had decided to spend a night at a relative’s house in Chinkhoma on Tuesday before continuing their journey the following day. However, it was during that same night that the husband’s mental condition is said to have worsened.

“The man suddenly walked out of the house and disappeared into the night, prompting his wife to follow him, but neither of them returned until dawn.

“This raised concern among relatives on the following morning, especially after several attempts to call the woman’s phone which went unanswered. It is when they immediately informed community policing about the missing couple,” Kachikho explained.

Following a search by community members and police, the woman was found dead, lying on the ground. The suspect was found nearby with blood-stained clothes, and he was reportedly holding some of the woman’s internal organs, indicating that he had mutilated her.

Police, together with medical personnel, took the body to Kasungu District Hospital, where a postmortem was conducted, and results showed that her death was due to severe blood loss leading to heart failure.

Investigations from relatives further indicate that Vincent Chirwa, who was married to the deceased and is suspected to have committed the offence, has documented medical records confirming his mental health problems.

Chirwa comes from Chipokosa village in Mzimba, and he is currently in police custody as investigations continue.