Investigator in murders of 'Mavoko Three' tells of scary photos

From left: Peter Kamau, Leonard Maina, Sylvia Wanjohi, Stephen Morogo and Fredrick Leliman appear before a Nairobi court on July 13, 2017 for the hearing of the case in which they are charged with the murder of lawyer Willy Kimani, his client and their taxi driver. The hearing will proceed on July 17. PHOTO | PAUL WAWERU | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • Mr Kimani, his client and their taxi driver disappeared on June 23.
  • Four police officers have been charged with the crime.

A crime scene investigator on Friday tabled horrifying photographs of one of the victims suspected to have been killed by Syokimau Administration Police officers last year.

Constable Bernard Kiplagat Serem said he took the photographs on July 1, before and after the body - stashed in a gunny bag - was pulled out of Athi River near Donyo Sabuk Police station in Machakos.

He said a diver helped retrieve it from the river.

WILLY'S CLIENT

And after removing it from the bag, he took more photos, including one on the victim being naked.

The body was later identified as that of boda boda operator, Josphat Mwenda.

Mr Mwenda was the client of Willy Kimani. They were both killed alongside their taxi driver Joseph Muiruri.

MAVOKO THREE

Former Syokimau Administration Police Camp officer-in-charge, Senior Sergeant Fredrick Leliman, his assistant, Sgt Leonard Mwangi Maina and Constables Stephen Cheburet Morogo and Sylvia Wanjiku Wanjohi, as well as police informer Peter Ngugi Kamau have been charged with the murders.

They are accused of killing the trio, popularly known as “Mavoko Three”, at Soweto in Mlolongo, Athi River Sub-County, on the night of June 23/24 last year.

AUTOPSY

Mr Kimani, an advocate with the International Justice Mission, and the other two disappeared on June 23 after attending a hearing at Mavoko Law Courts.

Testifying in the case in March this year, Chief Pathologist Johansen Oduor told the High Court that a boulder may have been used to crush the head of the human rights lawyer, whose decomposed body was found seven days after he went missing.

EVIDENCE

Constable Serem told Lady Justice Jessie Lesiit that six days after retrieving the body, he was asked to accompany his colleagues to one of the suspect's house where he also took more photos.

He said they went to Sergeant Maina’s house near Mlolongo police station after some items linking him to the deaths were recovered in his house.

But the officer was taken to task by the defence lawyers including Cliff Ombetta to prove how the items were linked to the murders.

FINGERPRINTS

Constable Serem added that he was the one who dusted and photographed the container in which the victims were kept on the fateful day.

He however said he did not find fingerprints or footprints inside the cell.

Another witness, Jackson Owino, said he was the one who towed Mr Muiruri’s vehicle in Kamirithu, Kiambu County, on the night of June 23 and 24 last year.

ABDUCTED

He said he was on patrol when his boss called informing him of an abandoned vehicle.

The car, registration number KBX 126C, was the one the three were driving in before they were abducted.

The officer said he towed it to Tigoni police station.

The hearing will proceed on July 17.