Police Recover Human Head Believed To Be Of Rita Waeni
On Sunday, investigators found a human head thought to be the remains of Rita Waeni Muendo, the university student who was tragically killed.
The authorities reported that the head was discovered in a dam located in Kiambaa, within Kiambu County.
This indicated the possible direction the murderer might have taken following the killing of Waeni on January 13 at an apartment in Roysambu.
The remaining parts of her were discovered encased in a plastic bag and sheet, positioned next to a garbage bin.
The authorities selected the head for preservation and examination while the investigation and pursuit of the perpetrator persisted.
“We have a human head believed to be that of the slain woman but we will say more after the probe,” said an officer aware of the probe.
Additionally, items belonging to the deceased woman, including her cell phone, were also retrieved.
The reason behind the murder remains unknown at this point.
The investigators managing the case stated that they are currently pursuing vital leads regarding the perpetrator and are optimistic about apprehending them.
However, they mentioned that the homicide appeared to have been carried out by an experienced assassin.
The murderer’s choice to shorten her fingernails is veiled in an enigma.
An examination performed on the deceased’s body on Friday revealed the absence of fingernails.
“This person who did all these also tried to clip off the fingernails for reasons which I might not be able to know but for us scientists when we see fingernails clipped off, we think probably the person was trying to hide evidence so that we are unable to get his DNA from the victim,” government pathologist Johansen Oduor told reporters after the exercise.
Detectives are currently baffled by the discovery, as the motive behind the killing remains unclear.
“I don’t know why but in investigations, such nails help in gathering evidence. People fight when dying and DNA evidence can be hidden there,” Oduor said.
Oduor stated that traces of certain fingernails were still present, and samples were collected for additional analysis to assist law enforcement in their inquiries.
The post-mortem examination verified that the corpse had undergone dismemberment, including the removal of the head and the separation of the legs from the torso.
“The skin looks like it was cut with a sharp object but the bone was sawed off with what looks like a hacksaw. This is the first time I’ve seen something like this. In my forensic life, I have never come across such an incident, Oduor said.
The pathologist selected specimens from the kidney, stomach, vagina, and blood to undergo toxicology analysis at the government chemist. This is part of additional testing aimed at determining whether any substances were introduced to the body.
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This comes following law enforcement’s suspicion that the woman had been subjected to drugging before the occurrence of her homicide.
A group from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations has joined the investigation, concentrating their efforts on apprehending the elusive perpetrator.
Contrary to earlier information, investigators suspect that the perpetrator might be of Kenyan origin.
According to witnesses in the murder investigation, the perpetrator communicated with them in the Swahili language.
Initial results indicate that he purchased the cell phone utilized to communicate with the apartment owner and entice Waeni to the location. Additionally, he employed a counterfeit phone number registered under a woman’s name.
Law enforcement is currently concentrating on understanding the motive behind the murder, especially considering that the woman had only recently become acquainted with her assailant a few days before the incident.
They are engaging in conversations with the parents, fellow students, and friends at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) in an attempt to understand the reasons behind her tragic demise.
The family reported that the murderer had requested a payment of Sh500,000 in exchange for sparing Waeni’s life.
It was revealed that the murderer, in the process of attempting to coerce the family into sending the demanded money, sent a photo using Rita’s cellphone just before using a hacksaw to end her life.
As per the family’s account, she departed from her aunt’s home in Syokimau to rendezvous with a friend.
Around 5 am on Sunday, her father reportedly received a message from her phone number, instructing him to pay a ransom of Sh500,000 within the next 24 hours for the release of the student.
“With this message, the family reported the matter to the police and DCI, and investigations began,” said the statement.
They reported that two more messages were dispatched to the family, urging the payment of the ransom.
“Unfortunately, the family did not get further details about the ransom or an opportunity to explore this route. Additionally, some demands were made when she had already been murdered,” the family said.
The caretaker discovered the remains of the fourth-year university student’s body inside a garbage bag in the apartment on Sunday, January 14th.
Her head was, however, missing.
“We believe she was lured by her killer, who also tried to extort money from her family, even after killing her,” the family added.
They described her as “an intelligent, smart girl beyond her age at the very start of her youth,” who was known for her kindness, laughter, and “ability to light up any room she entered”.
The group of investigators discovered information suggesting that Waeni and the person responsible for her death crossed paths on the social media site, Instagram.
Detectives, probing the murder that occurred on January 13 in an apartment in the Roysambu area, Nairobi, managed to access details from the deceased woman’s account, which they successfully cracked.
Police Recover Human Head Believed To Be Of Rita Waeni