Man and girlfriend detained for 14 days over woman killing

Joseph Kori Karue and Judy Wambui Mungai when they appeared in a Kiambu Court yesterday in connection to the murder of Mary Kamangara who was found murdered on Sunday morning and her body dumped in a dam. [PHOTO BY KAMAU MAICHUHIE].

Police have been allowed by a Kiambu court to hold a man and his girlfriend for two weeks following the murder of a woman.

Joseph Kori Karue was arraigned alongside Judy Wambui Mungai in connection with the killing of the former’s 39-year-old wife.

The mutilated body of Mary Wambui Kamangara was found dumped in a dam near Mugutha estate in Juja constituency on Sunday evening.

The duo was arrested on Monday 28th January 2019.

Investigating officer Cornelius Arwasa told Kiambu Senior Principal Magistrate Stella Atambo the suspects should be detained for more days for him to complete investigations into the killing.

Mr Arwasa told the court upon a thorough search, blood-stained clothes were recovered from Wambui Mungai’s rented house at Four Ways Estate on Kiambu Road.

He said they were yet to conduct a postmortem examination on the woman’s body to ascertain the cause of death and to record statements from some key witnesses.

Mobile data

He said detectives needed to retrieve mobile data from Safaricom and Airtel, which he said was important in the investigations.

Arwasa told the court they were yet to forward the blood swabs and the clothes collected from the second respondent’s house for DNA analysis.

“The suspects also need to be escorted to Mathare Hospital for mental assessment, and therefore I pray that this court allows the suspects to be detained at Juja Police Station for 14 days so that we can conclude our investigations,” Arawas said.

Prosecution counsel Christine Mbevi supported the application by the investigating officer.

The magistrate ruled that the suspects be held for 14 days and directed the detective handling the case to update the court on the progress of investigations on February 13.

Meanwhile, a 19-year-old woman has been sentenced to three years’ probation for killing her drunk husband who returned home with another woman.

Sheillah Chemutai Ikobwa committed the offence in July 2013.

Chemutai killed Hussein Juma Nyongesa when he returned home drunk in the company of another woman in Matisi, Trans Nzoia County.

She pleaded guilty before Justice Joseph Karanja, who handed her the non-custodial sentence.