12/27/1985 • 12 views
The murder of Dian Fossey
The murder of Dian Fossey on December 27, 1985, is one of the most enduring mysteries in the history of science and conservation.
The Scene of the Crime
Early that morning, at the Karisoke Research Center in the Virunga Mountains of Rwanda, Fossey’s house servant discovered her body in her bedroom. The scene was brutal:
The Weapon: She had been killed by two heavy blows to the head from a panga (a local machete). Ironically, it was a weapon she had likely confiscated from a poacher years earlier.
The Entry: The killer had cut a hole in the corrugated metal wall of her cabin to gain entry while she slept.
The Struggle: The cabin was in disarray, with overturned furniture and broken glass. Near her body lay a 9mm handgun and a clip of ammunition; it appeared she had tried to load the weapon in her final moments but had grabbed the wrong magazine in the dark.
The Missing Motive: Thousands of dollars in cash, traveler’s checks, and her passport were left untouched on the table, ruling out a simple robbery.
The List of Enemies
Fossey was a "mercurial" figure who had made many enemies during her 18 years in Rwanda. Her "active conservation" methods included:
Poachers: She didn't just report them; she waged a private war against them. She was known to capture poachers, whip them with stinging nettles, and once even kidnapped a poacher's child to force the return of a stolen baby gorilla.
The Government: She fiercely opposed the Rwandan government's push for "gorilla tourism," fearing that human diseases would wipe out the population.
Local Farmers: She was reported to have shot cattle that wandered into the park’s protected zones.
The Suspects and the Conviction
The investigation that followed was widely criticized as bungled or intentionally misleading.
The Tracker (Emmanuel Rwelekana): A local tracker whom Fossey had recently fired was the first suspect. He was arrested but was found dead in his cell shortly after; the official cause was suicide by hanging.
The Assistant (Wayne McGuire): Months later, Rwandan authorities charged her American research assistant, Wayne McGuire, with the murder. They claimed he killed her to steal the manuscript for her sequel to Gorillas in the Mist. Tipped off that he was about to be arrested, McGuire fled to the U.S. He was convicted in absentia and sentenced to death by shooting. Most Western observers believe he was a scapegoat used to protect more powerful figures.
The "Mr. Z" Theory: Many believe the order came from Protais Zigiranyirazo, the Governor of the Ruhengeri province (and brother-in-law to the Rwandan President). Fossey allegedly had evidence of his involvement in illegal gold smuggling and animal trafficking.
Her Final Resting Place
In a final, poignant twist, Dian Fossey was buried in the gorilla graveyard she had built behind her cabin. She lies next to Digit, her favorite gorilla, who had been decapitated by poachers eight years earlier. Her headstone bears her Rwandan nickname, Nyiramachabelli—"the woman who lives alone on the mountain."