The family of 13-years-old Charles Opindo who was kidnapped and murdered by suspected serial killer Marsten Wanjala, has detailed how they were called and tested for ransom.

The family says they knew Wanjala for many years as a neighbour and he was known for playing football with children in the Majengo neighbourhood.

Charles may have interacted with him on the football pitch before he was lured to his death.

His mother, Grace Mueni told Citizen TV, "We cannot say with certainty that the body found was our son, we are waiting for them to do a blood test to confirm."

She added, "The body was swollen you could not identify them and they are burned everywhere, you cannot tell who is who. But based on the bracelet found on the body, it could be our son but I am are not sure." 

The father, Tony Opindo narrated the heartwrenching moments he underwent trying to convince the kidnapper to let him talk to his son.

On his encounter with the kidnaper, Opindo said, "I was told that they have my son there and they want Ksh 30,000. I told them, I don't have Ksh 30,000 I'm a hustler, they just cut the phone.

He called back again after I had sent Ksh 950 and Ksh 1900 and said, 'Buda naona wewe ni mzuri send another Ksh 2,000 so that you can talk to your child. I told him no, I have already sent you some cash, I have shown my love yet you have not given me my child to talk to."

The negotiation did not go well. The kidnapper chickened out.

The last text message he got read, "Wewe utakuja an mapanga, so nitumue thao mbili juu ukipata mtoi hutanipea tena. Naskia ati wanapelekwa Tanzania kwa muda was siku chache.

Mimi nitakwambia but trust me." (I know you will come armed so send me Ksh 2,000 because I know once you get your son you won't give me any more money. I hear they will be taken to Tanzania in a few days time.)"

On the last phone call, the father said, the kidnaper told him, 'Buda nimekuamusha saa saba uongee an mtoto wako lakini ulikua umelala.' (Man, I woke you up at 1 am to talk to your son, but you were asleep.)

That is when I told him I'm sorry for the missed call, I then asked him if I can talk to my son? He said, 'No, at the moment, you cannot talk to him, the children are under tight security."

At the time Tony was receiving that last phone call, his son was most likely dead and the kidnapper was just toying with his emotions in the hope that he can get him to fork out some more money.

Two bodies of children were discovered dumped in a thicket in Lower Kabete, days after the phone calls. The bodies had badly decomposed pointing to the fact that they were dead longer.

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