The discovery of more human skeletons in Takoradi is a worrying development and makes the story of the three missing girls even murkier.
We cannot but agree with some Ghanaians who are wondering whether we do not have a serial killer lurking somewhere. Some even think Samuel Udoetuk Wills, the Nigerian suspect in the kidnapping of the three Takoradi girls, is the suspected serial killer.
Detectives have a significant task on their hands. They must be able to determine whether or not Samuel is responsible for the murder of those whose remains have been recovered in the aftermath of the first discovery in the Takoradi suburb, although the forensic and DNA tests are yet to be done to determine the identities of the human remains.
Such a linkage when established would make the task easier. If on the other hand the latest discovery has different suspects in the fray, we can rightly fret over why the beautiful harbour city of Takoradi has become a favourite domain of killers.
It would be interesting to know the number of cold  murder cases there are in the files of the Western Regional Police Headquarters of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) as a way of determining whether any of them is linked to the discoveries.
In all murder cases, it behoves the law enforcement agents to co-operate with their civilian compatriots. Without such co-operation, nothing substantial would come out of whatever work is put in by the police. The number of cold cases can only                                                 rise when the detectives are unable to crack the conundrum surrounding them. It is for this reason that we have an issue with the police self-aggrandizement statement in which they dismissed any possibility of outside help in their discovery of human remains in a septic tank. It was an unnecessary back patting by the law enforcement agents at this time when the case has not been cracked yet.
Assuming there is a serial killer lurking in the corner, he should either be smarter than his neighbours which he is or that the residents could not care a hoot about new faces in the neighbourhood, let alone find out their unusual movement patterns.
Time without number, we have asked that we                                    all take interest in our surroundings. We are yet to see that kind of security consciousness which would enable us to detect bad elements when they take up residence in our neighbourhoods and to alert the police appropriately.
Samuel, the suspected kidnapper, might have been seen by his neighbours for sometime but we did not bother to find out his source of livelihood without being unduly nosy about his private life. We can find out when our neighbours are living weird night lives for which they should come under the police radar.
We can bet our last cedi that those living around the abandoned structures near where the suspect lived must have noticed something untoward about their neighbour but were reluctant in going beyond the mental observation.
Uncompleted buildings are the favourites of criminal elements. Rapists and others all prefer such locations. Since they could not have taken residence of such places without the consent of some persons, owners of the uncompleted structures must be warned about the consequences of hosting such criminals.
It would be important to find out details of the person who allowed Samuel to live where he did and carried out the crimes, which have now become the subject of national conversation. Such knowledge would serve as an important lesson for those who let out property without due diligence.