Shock as decomposing body is found in the house of a Bomet mortuary attendant

BOMET: Residents of Koita Village in Kiplabotwa Location, Bomet County were on Friday shocked after a decomposing body of a middle aged woman was found in a hut belonging to a mortuary attendant.

Residents decided to break into the locked hut after they were drawn to the hut by a smell emanating from it.

Area Chief Stanley Towett said the body of Mercy Chepkoech, 20, who had gone missing for one week, was found on the floor with a knife having been placed on her chest.

"The morgue attendant at Longisa County Hospital has been having an affair with the lady according to the family members," said Towett.

Towett said it was hard to ascertain if the woman had been killed by strangling or stabbing because it was swollen and already decomposing.

"The body has been taken to Longisa Mortuary where a postmortem will be done so that the cause of her death can be ascertained. There were however some knife injuries on her neck and her private parts," said the chief.

He said police are looking for the suspect who went into hiding on the day the body was found.

"The police are following leads which may lead to his arrest. His parents also took off for fear of being attacked by the angry members of the public," said Towett.

The administrator appealed to members of the public to volunteer information on criminals living among them.

"People have shied away from sharing information they have with the relevant authorities because of fear of being asked to be witnesses. From the information we have gathered some members of the public had information about the killing of this lady but never shared it with us," said Towett.