Murder-accused Dhal Bahadur Khadka aka Gokul, 43, of Fasku-8 in Dolakha District had been living in hiding in Sikkim, India for years, leaving the police largely clueless.
It took investigators about 18 years to chase the leads, track him down and unravel the mystery over the suspicious murder committed on 13th December 1997. "It took more than eight months to bring the suspect face to face with investigators once the file was reopened," said SSP Puskar Karki, chief of Metropolitan Police Crime Division, Hanumandhoka.
Following a lead from contacts and call details from Sikkim concerning the accused and family members, friends and co-workers, police were able to dig up more and bring him into their net, according to investigating authorities.
Father Gafney, who was 65 at the time of his death, was born and grew up in Lakewood, Ohio in the USA. He established the St Xavier's Social Service Center at Jawalakhel in 1970 and lived permanently in Nepal after taking Nepalese citizenship. He was an educationist and also provided rehabilitation treatment to youths abusing hard drugs.
He had three domestics at his residence at Jhamsikhel, Lalitpur, and one of them was the accused Khadka, according to police.
According to preliminary investigations, Khadka one day asked for his remuneration as promised, but Gafney refused to oblige.
In a sudden fit of anger Khadka slit Gafney's throat with a khukuri at the latter's residence at 10:30 pm. He had brought the weapon from his home. Khadka made his escape with Rs 22,000 he stole from a cupboard.
To avoid arrest, Khadka left for India next day by an Itahari bound bus from Kalanki, said SSP Karki. He then started working in India as a laborer.
Unnamed sources alleged the involvement of homosexuality but these were never substantiated.
SSP Karki said they are yet to carry out further investigations and would make further disclosures once statements are recorded in court.
Police had traced footprints of the suspect from the crime scene and found that a second toe was unusually long. They also seized the murder weapon. Police later verified that the toe matched the footprint of the accused after finding a photo taken at a New Road studio.
"This is a murder case for which about 11 probe teams have been formed and more than 30 circulars based on physical descriptions issued," SSP Karki added. Police have also established that Khadka visited Nepal frequently under disguise but continued to work in India as a domestic and a porter.
He has been sent to Metropolitan Police Range Office Lalitpur for further action.
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