Police gun down suspect in murder of Wells Fargo manager

The late Wells Fargo Human Resource Manager Willis Ayieko. [File, Standard]

Investigations into the murder of Wells Fargo Human Resource Manager Willis Ayieko took a dramatic turn Thursday when police shot dead a suspect believed to have been involved in his killing.

The suspect was tracked down by detectives to a guest house near Kisumu Polytechnic, where he had been hiding. According to police, he was one of two people who escaped during a gunfight with officers in Gem, on Tuesday. A woman reportedly accompanying the suspects later succumbed to her injuries.

Detectives revealed that they had been monitoring the suspect’s movements before confronting him at the guest house. Witnesses reported that the suspect checked in around 8pm on Wednesday and stayed in his room, not even coming out for breakfast. Officers on his trail booked adjacent rooms to observe his actions closely.

After several hours, the detectives knocked on his door and ordered him to come out. Nyanza Regional Commander Patrick Tito explained that the suspect refused to comply.

“When the officers knocked and requested him to open the door, they heard him cock his gun. At that point, the officers broke in. He attempted to shoot, but our officers acted faster,” Tito said.

Police have not disclosed the suspect’s identity, deepening the mystery surrounding Ayieko’s death. However, Tito confirmed that they had made significant progress in the case, though some suspects remained at large.

“We will continue to capture them one by one. No one can end the life of an innocent person and expect to live normally. Investigations are ongoing, and I am confident our officers will apprehend the remaining suspects,” Tito added.

The suspect’s body was removed to Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital.

Another suspect, Victor Okoth, is currently held at Railways Police Station in Kisumu. Police have filed sought a 30-day detention  order at the Siaya Magistrate’s Court. Authorities reported that forensic analysis linked Okoth, who has a criminal record in Khwisero, to Ayieko’s murder, including using Ayieko’s phone to withdraw money from an M-Pesa outlet.

On the day Ayieko went missing, he had attended a funeral in Gem on Friday and was expected to return to Kakamega. When he didn’t arrive home, his family became anxious, suspecting he might have encountered trouble on the journey. His abandoned Ford Ranger was later found at a petrol station in Sabatia, Vihiga County, far from where his body was eventually discovered.

Police were alerted when his handcuffed body was found by a stream.