Police in Mzuzu are investigating the murder of a 19-year-old Form Four student at Masambilo Private Secondary School.
Reports indicate that the body of Esther Banda was found along Chiputula-Recreation Road near Mzuzu Upper Stadium.
Mzuzu Police Station Assistant Public Relations Officer Edson Chipeni said the student left home for school on Friday morning and returned in the evening with a friend.
Chipeni said the student later left home with three friends to attend a music show at Linde Lounge but did not return.
“On Saturday, her mother received information that her body had been found lying along the Chiputula-Recreation Road at the Mzuzu Upper Stadium ground,” he said.
Police officers who visited the scene found the body half-dressed, prompting investigations into the circumstances surrounding her death.
Chipeni said a postmortem conducted at Mzuzu Central Hospital established that the student died from strangulation, with signs of sexual assault also observed.
Police have since launched investigations to identify and arrest those responsible for the murder.
The police have appealed to members of the public, particularly those who attended the music show at Linde Lounge on Friday night or were around Chiputula-Recreation Road, to provide any information that could assist in the investigation.