Residents of Kirimahiga village in Mathioya, Murang’a county, were left shocked after the body of a 72-year-old woman who had been reported missing barely a week ago was found buried in a shallow grave in a banana plantation.
In a statement, the woman identified as Joyce Wangari went missing last week on Friday in unclear circumstances.
The matter was reported to the area chief Agatha Njoki even as locals continued with the search.
It was during the search that they saw a freshly dug area in a banana plantation in the neighbourhood prompting them to contact DCI homicide officers who exhumed the body after a go-ahead from the court.
“Upon securing an exhumation order from the court, the seasoned detectives with a knack for cracking murder puzzles got down to work and dug the area, unearthing the decomposing remains of the elderly woman, in an exercise also witnessed by public health officials based at Murang’a County,” part of the statement read.
Later, her remains were taken to Murang’a Level 5 hospital for a postmortem which showed that the elderly was strangled to death before being buried.
“Immediately after the exhumation, a postmortem was conducted at Murang’a level 5 hospital and it was discovered that the 72-year-old woman had been strangled prior to being buried in the shallow grave.”
So far one has been arrested and the matter remains under investigation.
“Following the discovery, investigations into the murder most foul were initiated, leading to the arrest of one suspect who so far is cooperating very well with authorities, in providing crucial information regarding the murder,” the statement further read.
