Puzzle of four bodies discovered in Dundori Forest
Damaris Njeri, 22, had been missing for three days when her naked body was found on a pole on February 11. PHOTO | FILE | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- The bodies were discovered by police officers from the nearby Mirangine Police Station, who were tracking stolen cattle.
- Bodies suspected to have been transported from other places are also often dumped in the forest.
- Police said the victims’ hands were tied at the back with ropes while their heads were covered with polythene bags.
Detectives in Nakuru are piecing together information that could help unravel the circumstances surrounding the death of four men whose bodies were found in Dundori Forest.
Police reports say the bodies were discovered on June 17 in a thicket in the expansive forest between Nakuru and Nyandarua counties.
The bodies were discovered by police officers from the nearby Mirangine Police Station, who were tracking stolen cattle.
The officers stumbled upon the bodies in the thick forest, which has become a hideout for criminals. Bodies suspected to have been transported from other places are also often dumped in the forest.
Police said the victims’ hands were tied at the back with ropes while their heads were covered with polythene bags.
LYING IN THICKET
“I suspected that all was not well after I spotted them lying in the thicket. I immediately alerted my colleagues,” said one of the police officers who retrieved the bodies.
Notably, the bodies, which were smartly dressed, had no bruises or gunshot wounds.
Preliminary investigations showed that the four, believed to be aged between 30 and 50, could have been suffocated.
Police are trying to find out whether the victims were killed there or dumped there after being killed elsewhere.
Speaking to the Nation, Nakuru North Officer Commanding Police Division(OCPD) Edward Wafula said no identification papers were found on the victims, and that detectives are trying to trace their relatives.
FORENSIC ANALYSIS
“We could not identify the deceased since none of them had identification documents while the surrounding community says they do not recognise them. We have taken their fingerprints for forensic analysis to try and get their identities,” said Mr Wafula.
“Once we get the fingerprint results, we will be able to circulate the information regarding the missing persons so that their relatives can find them,” he added.
The bodies have been at the Nakuru County Mortuary.
Mr Wafula said they suspect that the four were murdered elsewhere and dumped in the forest since no local resident has made a report of a missing person.
He confirmed they have intensified patrols in the area to avoid any such incidents. The local residents have also called for increased patrols to boost security.
