Autopsy report shows prison officer was strangled to death

Deputy Commissioner of Prisons Rift region Duncan Ongore (right) consoles family of Caroline Chesire, a prison warden murdered in Subukia. [Kipsang Joseph/Standard]

A prison officer whose body was found dumped in a bush in Subukia was strangled.

A postmortem examination done by Government pathologist Titus Ngulungu yesterday at Nakuru War Memorial Hospital mortuary showed Caroline Jepchirchir had blood clots on the neck, tongue, nose and both hands.

“The doctor informed us after the postmortem that Caroline was strangled. The body had blood clots on the neck, tongue, nose and hands,” said Joel Kurgat, the deceased’s uncle, told journalists.

The family asked police to speed up investigations to arrest those behind the brutal murder.

Jepchirchir, 22, went missing on April 2. Her body was found in a bush at Githiolo village in Subukia the next day.

The body had injuries caused by blunt object on the chest and head, investigators said. Her thighs had deep cuts.

“The police should intensify investigations and arrest those behind the death of my daughter to guarantee the family justice,” said her father Michael Chesire.

Mr Chesire, a chief inspector of police stationed in Kericho, said he received news of Jepchirchir’s death while he was expecting to meet her. He described Jepchirchir as a loving and caring person.

The father, who hails from Salawa in Baringo County, said he last spoke to Jepchirchir on Tuesday at around 7pm, before her phone went off.

After he failed to reach her for days, he travelled to Nakuru Central Police Station and he reported her disappearance on April 8.

“I initially thought my daughter was on assignment after we spoke on the night she went missing. But her constant silence was worrying and I was therefore forced to lodge a complaint, only to receive the heartbreaking news of her death,” he said.

Jepchirchir, he said, had a bright future. “My daughter had great plans for her life. She was hardworking and made me a proud father,” he said.

Before she went missing, Jepchirchir was spotted with two prison officers at an entertainment joint in Nakuru town.

Hired a taxi

One of them Joseph Kairu was arrested on Monday. He was taken to court on Wednesday and police requested to hold him in custody to finalise their investigations.

Nakuru DCIO David Wangai said they had intensified the hunt for the other suspect.

“We are working round-the-clock to arrest the prison officer to shed light on what transpired on the night they were together,” said Wangai.

The three, according to investigations, hired a taxi in Nakuru town in the wee hours of Tuesday night and drove to Nyahururu town, via Subukia, according to a vehicle tracker used by investigators.

“The vehicle was hired and driven by the officer whom we arrested but we are conducting more investigations to find out what led to the murder,” said Wangai.

Investigations reveal they went to Nyahururu town through Subukia and returned to Nakuru town and then went back to Subukia.

Murder charge

The DCIO told The Standard that the owner of the vehicle has also been summoned to record a statement at the DCI offices in Nakuru.

“Investigations have intensified to bring the perpetrators to book and charge them in court with murder,” said Wangai.

A detective who spoke to The Standard on condition anonymity said a female prison officer had also been summoned to write a statement after she said that she saw the two suspects together at about 3am on April 3.

Deputy Commissioner of Prisons Duncan Ogore said Jepchirchir joined Nakuru Prison in March 2018 after she successfully completed training in 2017.