During the search, the deceased’s family were left in shock after the suspect revealed that he had committed the heinous act with a promise of receiving Ksh. 400,000, which he said was not paid.
Police in Kirinyaga County were Thursday led to Rupingazi River by one of the suspects who allegedly murdered a 23-year-old man and left his beheaded body at Ciagini rice farm in Wamumu Ward, Mwea -West Sub-county.
The body of the deceased, Eric Muriithi, was found on the morning of May 17, 2022, on the rice farm after which the residents reported the matter to the police.
Mwea -West Sub-county Police Commander Wilson Koskei confirmed that detectives arrested two suspects in connection with the murder incident with a view to establishing the motive behind the killing of the young man and where they had disposed off his head.
He said the suspect led the officers to a river where he supposedly dumped the head.
“The head was removed and taken away. The suspect has led us to this river where they say they brought the body here in Rupingazi river and threw the head in the water,” Koskei explained.
“Probably we are going to recover the head. We have been led by a suspect who was arrested by the DCI officers.”
During the search, the family of the deceased was left in shock after the suspect revealed that he had committed the heinous act with a promise of receiving Ksh. 400,000, which he said was not paid.
“The suspect says he had been sent by another person to kill him over a land tussle. He was to be given Ksh. 400,000 thereafter but he has not been paid,” Mary Waruguru, Muriithi’s mother said.
According to the police boss, Muriithi’s body has already been buried by the family and he is uncertain of what will happen if they recover the head.
“We buried the headless body… the family did so immediately after postmortem and I don’t know what will happen if we are successful to recover the head,” he noted.
Before he met his death, Muriithi was a boda boda operator in Ngurubani town where he was ferrying customers from Ngurubani to Gatuiri.
Kipkoskei said detectives have been allowed by Baricho Law Court to detain the suspects for 15 days as they conduct investigations.
The suspects are being detained at Kiamaciri Police Station.
