New team takes over children murder case as more dump sites found

The 20-year-old man accused of abducting and killing 12 children has provided the police with more clues of the spots where he dumped his victims.

Masten Milimu Wanjala told Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) detectives that he had dumped one body in Machakos and another two in Nairobi.

Wanjala, who is helping the police with investigations, said he had dumped one body in an abandoned house in Mlolongo.

He said he had dumped two other bodies in a sewer line in Nairobi’s Pumwani estate. The search for the three bodies resumed yesterday after a one-day break.

And now detectives from the DCI homicide have taken over the investigations. This follows directive by DCI chief George Kinoti that the matter be handled at the DCI headquarters for better coordination.

Buru Buru DCI chief Jackson Muriuki yesterday confirmed that he had handed over the investigations to the new team.

The new team will be headed by homicide unit boss Martin Nyuguto who led the DCI operation in Moi’s Bridge where another five murder spots were uncovered.

The decision to have the investigations undertaken by the homicide unit came after it emerged that the Nairobi abductions and killings were committed by the same criminal who is responsible for the cases in Moi’s Bridge. The new team spent the better part of the day yesterday touring the grounds in Kabete where three of the bodies were found.

The team was scheduled to embark on the recovery mission by yesterday afternoon with visits to the new dumping grounds in Mlolongo and Pumwani.

Earlier the DCI has managed to recover three bodies from Kabete in a police operation conducted on Tuesday night and Wednesday morning.

The two boys aged 12 and 13 have been positively identified by their parents at the City Mortuary.

Felister Wayua, a mother of four who lives in Majengo, identified the body of her son Junior Mutuku Musyoka, 12.

Mutuku went missing on June 30 after attending a football match in his neighbourhood in Biafra.

Wayua said the kidnapper had demanded Sh30,000 ransom to free his son but the family could not raise the amount.

The family liaised with Shauri Moyo DCI who tracked the mobile phone used to communicate to the family but by the time the police caught up with the suspect, their son had already been killed.

The second body was identified to be that of Charles Opindo Bala, 13, who went missing on July 7.

Tony Opindo identified his son’s body at the City mortuary on Thursday. He said he had been forced to pay Sh2,800 ransom to the kidnappers who were demanding Sh50,000 to free his son.

The family had been to the City Mortuary a day before but could not immediately identify their son. They managed to identify him on their second visit to the mortuary on Thursday morning.

Police investigations have revealed that the two boys who played football together were kidnapped by a man with whom they played.

Police say the suspect had been visiting the field where the boys played and after befriending them for about two weeks, he abducted and killed them.

Yesterday, a second team of investigators visited a house in Kitengela where the suspect and another relative lived.

They dusted the house for fingerprints and searched for any clues that may help in unravelling the kidnap syndicate.

Police believe that it is in this house located in Milimani area of Kitengela that the boys were locked up after abduction and later killed before their bodies were discarded.

emaina@standardmedia.co.ke