A night that was supposed to be romantic ended in a horrifying murder after a man allegedly flew into a jealous rage upon discovering intimate WhatsApp conversations between his girlfriend and other men. What followed was a brutal attack, a desperate attempt to clean up a blood-soaked house and a murder trial that ended with a 25-year prison sentence.
Edward Mwanamuchele, an accountant working for Horizon Company in Chipata, Zambia, found himself at the centre of a shocking murder case after killing his 25-year-old girlfriend, Rhoda Munkombwe, during a domestic confrontation.
But the events leading to the tragedy had started weeks earlier, when Mwanamuchele’s marriage reportedly fell apart.
Around August 5, 2025, Mwanamuchele allegedly chased his wife out of their matrimonial home at Plot 5390B in Kanjala after accusing her of misusing rental income. Following the separation, he remained in the house alone.
He would soon welcome another woman into his life.
Rhoda, a young woman from Kapata whom he had reportedly been dating for several months, was invited to spend the night with him. On August 28, 2025, the two arrived at his residence at approximately 7 pm, seemingly ready for an evening together.
However, what began as an ordinary evening of cooking and drinking whisky would end in bloodshed.
According to court proceedings, the couple consumed a considerable amount of high-proof whisky as they prepared food. At some point, Mwanamuchele picked up Rhoda’s mobile phone and began going through her WhatsApp conversations.
What he discovered allegedly changed the atmosphere in the house completely.
The accountant reportedly came across conversations between Rhoda and several men whose phone numbers had been saved under female names, apparently to conceal their identities.
One particularly disturbing exchange caught his attention. In the conversation, Rhoda allegedly told a man that she missed his manhood. The man responded by asking whether she missed what he described as the “German machine.”
Rhoda reportedly replied that she wanted him to devour her.
Other conversations allegedly suggested that she had received financial assistance from another man and was planning to meet him at a lodge.
Unable to contain his anger, Mwanamuchele confronted his girlfriend about the messages. Rhoda reportedly explained that the men were helping her financially and making her feel appreciated.
Her explanation, however, did little to calm him down.
In a moment that would prove fatal, Mwanamuchele picked up an iron bar and began striking Rhoda, initially targeting her legs. According to his account in court, she raised her arms in an attempt to protect herself, but the weapon struck her head.
The blow caused a deep wound across the top of her skull. She also sustained injuries to her legs and multiple bruises across her body.
A landlord walks into a horrifying scene
At approximately 11:30 pm, the landlord, Moonga Ngobeka, heard unusual noises coming from the house and decided to investigate.
When he approached the door, he asked Mwanamuchele to open it. The accountant reportedly claimed that he had lost the keys, prompting the landlord to use his spare key to gain access.
What greeted him was a terrifying scene.
Rhoda was lying unconscious in a pool of blood near the doorway. Realising the seriousness of the situation, Ngobeka immediately arranged for an ambulance to take her to Chipata Central Hospital.
Sadly, she was pronounced dead upon arrival.
But the landlord would encounter another disturbing scene when he returned to the house.
Mwanamuchele was reportedly on his knees, desperately mopping blood from the sitting-room floor. Bloodstains were also visible in the bathroom and bedroom, suggesting that the violence had occurred in different parts of the house.
Ngobeka immediately contacted the police.
Officers arrived as Mwanamuchele was allegedly attempting to leave the premises. He was arrested at the scene before he could go far.
Rhoda’s father, Terry Munkombwe, who was himself a police officer attached to Chipata Central Police Station, reported his daughter’s killing at approximately 5 am. Her body was subsequently taken to the hospital mortuary for a post-mortem examination.
Eastern Province Police Commanding Officer Robertson Mweemba later confirmed the incident, including the use of an iron bar and the suspect’s alleged attempt to clean the crime scene.
The murder trial and 25-year sentence
The case eventually went before the High Court in July 2026, with Justice Charles Kafunda presiding.
The prosecution presented six witnesses to establish the circumstances surrounding Rhoda’s death.
One of the most emotional moments during the proceedings came when her father, Terry Munkombwe, took the witness stand. He reportedly broke down while describing the devastating injuries his daughter had suffered and the circumstances surrounding her death.
When Mwanamuchele testified on July 22, he admitted striking Rhoda with the iron bar after discovering the WhatsApp messages.
He maintained that both of them had consumed alcohol and insisted that he had never intended to kill her. He also told the court that he loved Rhoda.
His defence team argued that provocation and intoxication should be considered in determining his criminal responsibility.
However, Justice Kafunda rejected the arguments as complete defences, observing that the level of violence used against Rhoda was grossly disproportionate to the circumstances.
Nevertheless, the judge considered the heavy drinking and the discovery of the intimate messages as extenuating circumstances under Section 201(3) of Zambia’s Penal Code.
On July 31, 2026, Mwanamuchele was convicted of murder and sentenced to 25 years’ imprisonment with hard labour.
In the end, a relationship marked by jealousy, suspicion and a confrontation over private messages resulted in an irreversible tragedy.
A man who had sent his wife away from their home invited another woman to spend the night with him, only for the evening to end with a young woman dead, a landlord discovering a blood-soaked house and a father mourning his daughter.
And for Mwanamuchele, the consequences of that night will now be measured in decades behind prison walls.
