Zimbo allegedly shoots, kills wife in the US

By Cindy Scharr

TINICUM, US — A mother of three was shot to death in her Lester home Wednesday, allegedly by her Zimbabwean husband, a Delaware County prison guard.

Winlaw Muzirwa, 38, is charged with first-degree murder for allegedly shooting his wife, Daisy Jambawo, during an argument in which she told him to “act like a man,” according to court documents.

“Winlaw Muzirwa showed up today at the Tinicum Township Police Department, he came into the police department with blood-stained clothes,” said Delaware County District Attorney Jack Whelan at an afternoon press conference at the Tinicum Township Municipal Building. “He approached Chief (Steve) Edmiston and Officer (Joe) Marino and indicated he did something bad.”

After being read his Miranda rights, Muzirwa gave police a statement. “He freely admitted he shot his wife,” Whelan said.

Police rushed to the couple’s home in the 500 block of Third Street and forced their way inside. Jambawo’s body was found in a second-floor bedroom. She had been shot multiple times, officials said.

Muzirwa, a U.S. citizen and native of Zimbabwe, has been out on disability leave from his job with Community Education Centers, the private company that operates the county prison, for about two years, officials said.

Muzirwa allegedly told police he was getting dressed at about 10:15 a.m. He and his wife were having an argument when she began tugging on his clothing and telling him to “act like a man,” according to the affidavit of probable cause.

Muzirwa calmly told police he took his gun from a closet shelf and shot Jambawo, according to the affidavit. He allegedly said he tried to use the gun on himself, but it malfunctioned. Police later located a 9 mm Ruger P95 in the bedroom where the victim’s body was found.

Jambawo was shot at least twice, in the face and back, Whelan said. Whelan said police had been called to the couple’s home several times in the past for what he termed “minor” domestic incidents. They had lived in the Third Street house for about eight to 10 years.

The couple’s 8-year-old son and two daughters, ages 14 and 15, all students in the Interboro School District, were at school at the time of the shooting. They are currently being cared for by Muzirwa’s mother, officials said.

Officials were unsure if Jambawo worked outside of the home. Whelan said there was no active protection-from-abuse order on file. The victim’s body was turned over to the Delaware County Medical Examiner.

Muzirwa was arraigned by Magisterial District Judge Edward Christie on Wednesday evening at police headquarters on charges of criminal homicide, first- and third-degree murder and possession of an instrument of crime.

He was transported to Delaware County prison, but was expected to be moved to another facility. Jambawo’s death marks the first homicide in Tinicum this year and the 25th in the county. Delco Times.com