Shock as woman murdered, Sh300,000 left beside body

Mystery surrounds the murder of a 38-year-old businesswoman by unknown people who left Sh300,000 cash beside her body.

Ms Mary Muturi's decomposing body was found on Wednesday evening after neighbours broke into her home in Kiamaina village on the outskirts of Nyahururu town, Laikipia County.

It was found in a bed in one of the houses in her compound, three days after she last communicated with friends and relatives.

The money was found beside the body.

CRIME SCENE

Neighbours said a taxi driver dropped Ms Muturi off at her gate on Monday evening.

Friends who talked to the Nation said that was when they last talked to her.

“Her mobile phones went unanswered before going off. We were concerned so we decided to come to her house and establish what the problem was, only to find that a macabre murder had taken place," said Ms Lydia Wangechi, a friend.

Mr Stephen Maingi, the area's assistant chief, said residents found Ms Muturi's main door locked so they had to break in. They found everything intact.

“We later decided to check another house located within the compound. It was also locked. After breaking in, we found the body in the bed," he said.

"It seemed she had been strangled and hit with a blunt object. The injuries were visible and there were blood stains all over the bed."

SEVERAL CASES

Nyahururu Sub-county Police Commander Geoffrey Maiyek said they had not yet established the motive for the murder but were following crucial leads.

Residents said they were worried about the rising number of murders in the area - Ms Muturi's case was the fifth in less than six months.

In December 2018, a 70-year-old grand mother was raped and strangled to death in her house, several metres from Ms Muturi's.

The elderly woman sold firewood and lived alone. Police later arrested her attackers and arraigned them.

Ms Muturi's body was taken to Nyahururu County Referral Hospital mortuary.