Slain lawyer Willie Kimani’s skull was ‘crushed’, says pathologist
The late Willy Kimani, an advocate. Chief Pathologist, Dr Johansen Oduor, on Monday told the High Court that a boulder may have been used to crush the lawyer's head. PHOTO | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- His right hand was broken, injuries showing he was resisting a violent attack were visible
- Chief Pathologist, Dr Johansen Oduor said that “the injuries on the skull of the slain lawyer were consistent with a crush of a heavy blunt object, like a boulder”.
- Dr Oduor identified a CT scan on Kimani’s skull and photographs taken by scene-of-crime officers when he carried out the autopsy on the body.
The Chief Pathologist, Dr Johansen Oduor, on Monday told the High Court that a boulder may have been used to crush the head of rights lawyer Willie Kimani, whose decomposed body was found seven days after he went missing.
Dr Oduor, who carried out an autopsy on the body, said: “He had severe head injuries which fractured his skull.”
Led in his evidence by a senior assistant director of public prosecutions, Mr Nicholas Mutuku, the pathologist said that “the injuries on the skull of the slain lawyer were consistent with a crush of a heavy blunt object, like a boulder”.
He said the skull of the lawyer, who was dressed in a green jacket, a beige trouser, a multi-coloured tie, a pair of black shoes and a black belt, had fractures in the face, back and sides. The right hand was broken and injuries showing “he was resisting a violent attack” were visible.
Dr Oduor was testifying in the case where the former Syokimau Administration Police Camp officer-in-charge, Senior Sergeant Fredrick Leliman, his assistant, Sgt Leonard Mwangi Maina and AP Constables Stephen Cheburet Morogo and Sylvia Wanjiku Wanjohi, as well as police informer Peter Ngugi Kamau have denied murdering Kimani, his client Josphat Mwenda and their taxi driver Joseph Muiruri.
They are accused of murdering the trio, popularly known as “Mavoko Three”, at Soweto in Mlolongo, Athi River Sub-County of Machakos County, on the night of June 23/24 last year.
Dr Oduor identified a CT scan on Kimani’s skull and photographs taken by scene-of-crime officers when he carried out the autopsy on the body. He said at the time when he dissected the body, the liver, lungs, brain and spleen had begun to decompose.
Kimani, Mwenda and Muiruri disappeared immediately they left the Mavoko Law Courts in Athi River on June 23, 2016 and their bodies were recovered from Ol Donyo Sabuk river in Athi River on June 30, 2016.
Dr Oduor said after carrying out all the external and internal examinations he formed the opinion that “Kimani died from head and body injuries inflicted forcefully with a blunt object”. The hearing continues.
