Police in Goroka in Papua New Guinea are investigating a bizarre murder case in which four women were allegedly killed and buried in a pit in standing positions.
The Post Courier reports the women were accused by villagers of using sorcery to cause a vehicle to crash, killing three correctional officers from Eastern Highlands in October last year.
Police said the women, who were all in their 30s, were reportedly tortured into admission by being stabbed with hot metal rods.
The torture and killing was allegedly carried out by villagers from Kamex on the outskirts of Goroka town.
Eastern Highlands provincial police commander Chief Inspector David Seine says police found the pit where three of the women murdered were dumped but are yet to locate the body of the fourth woman.
Mr Seine says the bodies had been badly decomposed, and after the difficult identifications, were buried again.
He says 11 names of men identified as prime suspects were with police.
