How serial killer slipped through officers’ fingers

By Amos Kareithi

Had the police heeded the desperate pleas of the relatives of a 34-year-old woman when she went missing on November 23, 2008, perhaps the lives of 16 women and children would have been saved.

More than 18 months after Catherine Chelagat, disappeared, the oversight has returned to haunt the police. Her decomposed remains were recovered on Wednesday, opposite the Karen Police station.

The police unwittingly let the serial killer slip through their fingers after he snatched Catherine, killed her and tormented her family for months, demanding ransom.

Confessed serial killer Phillip Onyancha, (right). [PHOTO: FILE]

The family’s nightmare started when Catherine’s brother, Peter Kipkemoi, a night guard, went to Karen Police Station on November 30, 2008, to report his sister had gone missing. Some of the police officers chided him, saying there was no way a college graduate could disappear. They suggested she had eloped with a lover.

Nevertheless, the report was booked vide OB12/30/11/2008 and the family given permission to appeal for assistance to trace their lost kin through a vernacular radio, Kass FM.

As soon as the advertisement was aired on January 25, last year, the family received telephone calls with demands of Sh30,000 in exchange for Catherine.

Phone Threats

The caller threatened to harm Catherine and discard her body parts outside Kipkemoi’s house near Karen Police Station if the money was not sent immediately.

On receiving the call, Kipkemoi rushed to Karen Police Station where the abductor called again, stressing the need for maximum co-operation if the family wanted to see Catherine alive.

"When we went to the police station, the officers advised us to co-operate. They told us to send the money so they could track the criminals," Mathew Korir, another of Catherine’s brothers told The Standard on Saturday in an earlier interview.

But Wanjala was too quick for the police and Catherine’s family. In less than ten minutes after the Sh10,300 ransom money was sent to 0716695582, which was registered by Faustin Wanjala, it was withdrawn on February 1, at 12.25pm.

Korir recalls how they waited for Catherine and were rudely shocked when five days later, the abductors made fresh demands, forcing the family to hold an impromptu fundraiser, which collected Sh5,000.

Again Wanjala withdrew the money through the same number, after tormenting the family with demands for more money, threatening to unleash violence if nothing was forthcoming.

Strangely, Kipkemoi was directed by a police officer at Karen to delete all the phone records detailing money transactions and calls made by the abductors.

"I did it out of ignorance. I had no idea I was deleting vital information after the police told me to copy the messages on a piece of paper. I had to obtain copies of the transaction from Safaricom later," says Kipkemoi.

During our investigations last year, a Criminal Investigations officer investigating the case, told us that the police had traced Wanjala to Kibera, Dandora, Karen and Kenyatta National Hospital using signals emitted by his phone.

Skeletal Remains

The travails of the family, and its quest for justice were highlighted by Crime, Courts and Investigations (CCI) on October 14, last year, more than a year after Catherine’s disappearance.

Last Tuesday, the family was shocked when the self-confessed serial killer Phillip Onyancha led the police to the offices of Nairobi Water and Sewerage Company, Karen, where Catherine’s remains were recovered.

"I have seen the skeletal remains. Right now we are headed to the mortuary. I have identified her dress and have no doubt this is my long lost sister. Our hopes of ever seeing her alive have been dashed," said Korir.

The family is bitter that the police did nothing to arrest the suspect who withdrew the ransom, even after promises he would be apprehended if they paid the money.

Police spokesman, Eric Kiraithe on learning of these developments, said, "It is regrettable that some officers did not take the matter seriously. This is serious because the killer may have been arrested earlier."

Kiraithe described the serial killer as a very dangerous man as he had camouflaged his crimes with relative ease and fooled the police for years.

"We are calling on psychologists to study this man. It is possible there could be very many other murders out there, which are yet to be detected." Kiraithe added.