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Police in Dundee have launched a murder investigation after a respected scientist, originally from Zimbabwe, was found fatally injured on a city street. Dr Fortune Gomo, 39, was discovered with severe injuries on South Road at approximately 4:25pm on Saturday. Despite emergency services attending the scene, she was pronounced dead shortly after.
Police Scotland confirmed on Sunday that a 20-year-old man has been arrested and charged in connection with her death. He is expected to appear at Dundee Sheriff Court shortly.
A post-mortem examination confirmed that Dr Gomo’s death is being treated as murder. Officers have stressed that there is no ongoing risk to the wider public.
Detective Superintendent Peter Sharp, leading the investigation, offered his condolences to the victim’s family and asked that their privacy be respected during this difficult time. He also appealed to the public to refrain from speculating on social media while inquiries remain ongoing.
“There is a significant police presence in the area as part of our investigation,” he said. “We are following several lines of inquiry and continue to ask anyone with information to come forward.”
Dr Gomo lived locally and had recently taken up a role with Scottish Water as a senior service planner in water resource planning. She had previously studied at the University of Dundee, where she earned her PhD and worked as a postdoctoral research assistant in the School of Social Sciences.
Professor Nigel Seaton, interim principal and vice-chancellor of the university, described the death as “shocking” and “a tragic event for our city and the university community.”
He added: “Fortune was thriving in her career. Her loss is especially painful for those who knew and worked with her, as well as within our close-knit African student and staff community. We extend our deepest sympathies to her family and friends.”
Support services are being made available through the university’s Chaplaincy Centre, which will open from Monday for those affected by her death.
Tributes have also poured in online, including a heartfelt message from Angela Machonesa, who knew Dr Gomo during their school and university years in Zimbabwe.
She said, “Her brilliance in the classroom was only matched by her emotional intelligence. She was the kind of person you’d go to when you needed clarity, not just of mind, but of heart.
“We are heartbroken. We are angry. We are disoriented. But we are also united in one voice: Fortune Gomo mattered. Her life mattered. Her legacy must never be forgotten.”
