High Court finds wife inheritor guilty of murder

The High Court has sentenced a man to death for killing a widow he inherited.

Stephen Masanchu was accused of murdering Beatrice Anyach on the night of January 10, 2014 in Rodi Kopany. Ms Anyach’s body was found in her house with deep cuts on the abdomen and groin.

While delivering the judgement, Justice David Majanja said the multiple stab wounds demonstrated malice aforethought.

“I therefore find the accused guilty of the murder of Anyach and I convict him accordingly,” said Majanja.

The Mr Masanchu had denied the charge but the prosecution called 10 witnesses to prove its case.

The Anyach’s sons, Samuel Owuora and Steve Opiyo, told the court they knew Masanchu, as he married their mother after their father died.

They told the court that the two were living together at the their mother’s homestead, adding that their mother operated a hotel at Rodi Kopany where Masanchu worked as a cook.

Opiyo said his sister realised something was wrong when she knocked on her mother’s door on the morning of January 11, 2014 and there was no response. She called Opiyo, who peeped through the window and saw blood.

Access House

Opiyo in turn called his brother Owuora and they accessed the house through a gap between the wall and the iron-sheet roof.

When Opiyo got in, he found his mother’s body on the floor, covered with a bed sheet.

He said items in the house were scattered all over and there was blood on the walls, floor and bed.

Anyach’s brother Evans Omondi said when they called Masanchu, he said he was in Tanzania. He said Masanchu told them he got angry when he found Anyach with another man in the house.

Masanchu said he was in Tanzania to sell cows and that he would send Sh35,000 for the funeral.