Kotakethana murders refer to a series of 15 mysterious murders of women, including three double murders, starting from 2008 in and around Kahawatte, Kotakethana, Dambulwala, Warapitiya, Opathawatte and nearby area in the Rathnapura district of Sri Lanka. The latest murder was reported on 28 September 2015 in Opathawatte in Kotakethana where a Tamil tea plantation worker woman was brutally hacked to death. The youngest victim was 19 years old and the eldest being 80. One 35-year-old male suspect was arrested on 11 December 2015 and his DNA matched with six murders.
Murders
The police believe that all the murders may not be connected. On 11 December 2015 a 35 year old suspect was arrested by police after several months of investigation by the CID. He is a resident of the same area. On 15 December 2015, the CID informed the Pelmadulla Magistrate that the DNA samples of the suspect matches DNA samples collected from the scenes of six of the seven murders in Kotakethana and Kahawatta.