DNA test results for Melisa Aneza, 15, a student of Naalya Secondary School, Lugazi, whose body was found dumped in a swamp in Mukono District, have confirmed a perfect match with those of her parents.
Mr Luke Owoyesigyire, the Kampala Metropolitan Police deputy spokesperson, said yesterday that the report was released by the Police Forensic Laboratory team on Friday last week.
He added that police pathologists at Mulago National Referral Hospital handed over the body to the parents following the DNA confirmation.
‘The parents signed to receive the body from City Mortuary Mulago and have proceeded with burial arrangements,’ Mr Owoyesigyire said.
The family held the final vigil and funeral service in Makerere-Kikoni, a Kampala suburb, before laying her to rest at their ancestral home in Kabuga, Kanungu District, on Saturday.
Mr Owoyesigyire confirmed that police detectives are pursuing investigations to trace her killers, determine their motives, and ensure they face prosecution in court.
Mysterious disappearance
Aneza disappeared on November 4, with her case reported to police on November 6. Her body was later discovered on November 11 in Musaale Swamp, Namulaba Village, Kyampisi Sub-county, Mukono District.
On November 10, photos of an unidentified body circulated on social media, prompting her parents to report to Nagalama Police Post on November 11 to verify the report.
Witnesses noted that the body was dressed in a navy-blue student skirt labelled Nanyonga VII, suggesting the victim was a student.
Both parents told this publication that they had identified the body through a photo posted on social media by local authorities in Kayunga.
However, police reportedly blocked them from accessing the crime scene and asked them to return the following day, November 12.
By then, the body had already been buried. Authorities later exhumed the body to conduct a postmortem examination and DNA testing, which confirmed Aneza’s identity.