Kiambu university girl stabbed grandmother 17 times, cleaned murder scene and became spectator

A third year student is being held as the main suspect in the murder of her wealthy grandmother in Githunguri, Kiambu County over four months ago. The murder almost went cold until the family hired a private investigator leading to the arrest of father and daughter. Mercy Wangari, a lithe 22- year-old even led detectives to where the murder weapon – a twisted metal rod- was dumped.

Mercy told investigators that she bludgeoned Beatrice Wangari Karanja, her 72-year-old grandmother  to death, cleaned the scene, vanished, then re-appeared after the alarm was raised in the sleepy Kamwanya village.
Mercy’s father, had confessed to killing his mother but later disowned his statement in a murder case that is opening the lid on domestic feuds, family favouritism and bad blood over inheritance.
Both father and daughter are being treated as suspects.

 

Patrick Gatimu Karanja, father to murder suspect Mercy Wangari. [PHOTO: COURTESY]

 

The murdered grandmother was a wealthy widow. Besides having extensive farms (one has trees valued at Sh10 million) and  coffee plantations she managed rental houses at the Githunguri shopping centre and another house in Buruburu estate and Ruai left to her by her late husband Karanja Gatimu. Wangari had three daughters and one son-Patrick whose daughter felt other family members were disproportionately favoured by her grandma.

 

Before his death in 2002, Patrick’s father had indicated that most his wealth would be shared among his daughters’ children. Patrick was a benefactor of the Buruburu house, which was under the control of the mother. This made him unhappy; he wanted a freehand to manage it. Though her grandma paid Mercy’s college fees and hostel at Mlango Kubwa along Juja Road in Nairobi, the animosity over being financially on the fringes created a tiff between them.
“I always felt hurt when grandmum kept reminding me how my family was useless even after she tried her best to assist my dad,” a remorseful Mercy later told detectives.

Ironically,  Mercy was the first person to arrive at the scene of crime when her grandmother’s house help, Mary, raised the alarm after finding her body in her bedroom with a deep wound above her right eye.

Mary spotted stains of blood on Mercy’s hair besides a fresh wound on the right index finger. Mary inquired about the oddity, but the third Food Science student brushed her off that August 22, last year.
“I wiped off the stain with water then told Mary her eye sight had failed her. About the injured finger; I lied to her that I injured myself while chopping vegetables,” she told detectives at Githunguri Police Station where her father was being held.

Before disowning his statement, Patrick, claimed the desire to protect his family pushed him to lie. On January 16, he told police and private investigator Jane Mugo of Trimo Security  that he stabbed his mother to death but postmortem results showed traumatic force by a blunt object as the cause of death.

Patrick led local police to his house where the knife was ‘recovered’ from under a couch. But the following day, he recanted his statement as his daughter Mercy claimed responsibility for the murder. Mercy contacted Jane claiming she planned to kill herself over her grandmother’s death. The private investigator recalled that  “after convincing her not to take her life and promising to help her, Mercy opened up and told us about the murder and her role.”

Mercy recorded her statement on January 18. While taking plea through in a virtual court, the young lady claimed: “I am the one who killed my grand mum and don’t want anybody to suffer for my sins. I am ready to show police where I hid the evidence in two pit latrines at our homestead.” 

And after seven grueling hours, the rod, razor, her grandmother’s face towel and pair of shoes were recovered from the deceased’s toilet, which was ripped apart by the Kiambu fire brigade. She then led the team to her father’s toilet where the dress she wore on the fateful day was retrieved.

Mercy claims she used the razor blade to cut off her grandmother’s  nails to destroy any trapped DNA during their fight which started as a candid questioning why the matriarch showed disdain towards herself, her father  and mother Susan Mumbi while having a soft spot for other relatives. It degenerated into Mercy overpowering her grandmother to floor. She claims she hit her with a  rod and “I must have hit her between 15 and 17 times.”  
 Githunguri DCIO Michael Kimilu did not wish to comment on the next course of their investigations.