Two suspects connected to the abduction and subsequent murder of taxi driver Evans Bikundo Moracha, whose body was recovered at River Sagana on October 14, 2023, were arrested by police in an operation.
They were arrested by Nairobi Region Crime Research detectives following a night-long operation in Nyeri and Kajiado counties on Thursday.
The two, Stanley Collins Muthika and Kennedy Murimi Kinyua were arrested in Nyeri’s Ruringu village and Olekasasi-Ongata Rongai in Kajiado North respectively.
The deceased’s disappearance was reported by his wife Teresa Masesi Kerubo at Mihang’o Police Station on October 14, indicating that he and his vehicle a Toyota Vitz had been missing for three days.
The deceased’s phone was also offline.
It was on the same day that the Assistant Chief Githuri sub-location in Murang’a County reported to the police that an unknown male body had been found at River Sagana.
The body lay naked and had multiple head injuries.
Police took the body to Murang’a Level Five Hospital Mortuary for autopsy and identification through fingerprinting and analysis at the National Registration Bureau (NRB) offices.
It was identified as that of Moracha, whose wife had just reported missing, police said.
Detectives took over the matter in a scrupulous manhunt for the monstrous faces behind the heinous murder.
Acting on intelligence, the team furthered their pursuit to Ruringu village in Nyeri County Thursday where Muthike was arrested.
Upon interrogation, the suspect led the detectives to Olekasasi in Ongata Rongai where the second suspect, Kinyua was nabbed.
After running a profile of the second suspect, detectives found him to be a police officer based at Akila Police Station in Lang’ata, but who has been on interdiction after deserting the service.
He is in the rank of a Constable and designated as a driver in the station, police said.
A search in his house saw the recovery of the deceased’s mobile phone and a stun torch which the suspect confessed to having used to light their way to River Sagana where they disposed of the body.
The two suspects were detained separately at Capital Hill and Kilimani Police Stations pending further interrogations.
Meanwhile, forensic-led intelligence has since revealed a well-choreographed murder plot that challenges the mere disappearance and sudden death of the 47-year-old Moracha.
In the new establishments, detectives have established that Moracha did not just disappear but was picked from his house by the killer duo on the night of October 11, in the presence of his wife.
Days later, the deceased’s car was stealthily driven back to Teresa’s (the wife) neighborhood and securely abandoned a safe distance from her house.
Cyber-crime detectives whose services have been sought linked Teresa to the two suspects, after numerous conversations including negotiations for unclarified payments among the three were retrieved.
According to police, the communication dated back to before Moracha’s abduction, during and after the recovery of the body.
Police hence believe that Teresa, whose arrest is imminent, is the mastermind behind her husband’s heinous murder, and that her report on the missing husband might have been an afterthought after getting wind of the body’s recovery in Murang’a. Investigations are ongoing to unravel the motive behind the homicide.
She was produced in court where police asked for more time to hold her as the probe went on.
The motive is yet to be known.
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