City man kills BFF buries him in shallow grave

Piece by: WANGECHI WANG'ONDU
Crime
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Crime scene photo
Image: Courtesy

A man is said to have killed his close friend and buried him secretly in a shallow grave.

Residents of Murinduko village in Mwea Kirinyaga county are reeling in shock following the murder.

John Mwangi, 34, allegedly killed Stephen Mwangi, 31, on an unknown date and later buried his body in a shallow grave next to his latrine.

It is believed that the suspect's intention was to dump the body into the pit latrine but since his body could not fit through the small opening, he resorted to digging a shallow tunnel that could lead the body toward the pit.

The body was discovered and retrieved on Thursday afternoon by the locals who later called for help from the authorities.

A neighbor who sought anonymity said that the two are suspected to have been involved in a romantic relationship and had since been living together.

"Prior to living together, I had spotted the frequent visitations by the deceased to the suspect's house.I don't know what happened between the two but I suspect there was an altercation between them which led to the suspect murdering his friend," she said.

She disclosed that Mwangi's parents were struck with curiosity after their son went missing for some days in person and by phone which resulted in searching for him at the suspect's home.

"The homeowner was no where to be found when they went looking for him. However, they found a fresh grave next to the latrine and out of curiosity they scooped the soil only to find the body of their son having been buried there."

According to the neighbour, the suspect is a local mason who had previously separated from his two wives whom he married on separate occasions.

Mwangi is said to have been a staunch Christian and a regularly committed churchgoer before going astray.

"We are in utter shock that he could commit such an inhumane act. We have known Mwangi for a long time and is one of the most humble and kind-hearted men in our village."

Another neighbor expressed his shock over the incident saying Mwangi was the least expected person she would have associated with the act.

"Mwangi was an upright man and was so committed in church related activities before he started becoming an absentee. We are shocked that he could act in such a bizarre manner."

County police commander Mathew Mang'ira confirmed the incident saying the officers have launched a man hunt in pursuit of the suspect.

The police boss told The Star, that the deceased was from Chuka and had come to visit his friend where he met his untimely death.

"The parents went looking for him at his friend's home after their son went missing for three days only to find his body buried next to the latrine."

He added that the officers have since launched investigations in a bid to establish the cause of the murder.

His body he said is lying at Karira Hospital Mortuary awaiting postmortem.

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