Autopsy shows college student died of skull fracture, lung bruises

The late Eileen Cherotich

Rift Valley Institute of Science and Technology (RVIST) student Eileen Cherotich died of severe head and lung injuries consistent with a fall.

An autopsy conducted by Government pathologist Dr. Titus Ngulungu at the Nakuru County Referral and Teaching Hospital on Thursday found that the student died of a skull fracture on the forehead or medulla injury.

"This simply means that she suffered a severe head injury as she landed on her forehead. The impact was very severe," Dr. Ngulungu explained.

Dr Ngulungu said the outcome of the autopsy was consistent with the reports of the deceased having fallen from a car and her head absorbing most of the force upon impact with the surface.

He added, "This is consistent with the reports of the deceased having fallen from a car and her head absorbing most of the force upon impact with the surface."

"She had bruises all over her back and legs. Also, there was a crack on her skull; it looked like she must have been in a lot of pain at the point of her death."

He added, "She did not have injuries on her palm areas indicating lack of reflexes. Having injuries on your palm areas often indicates that she might have tried to break the fall but this was not the case. Therefore, we deduced the deceased must have been unconscious hence falling in the manner that she did."

The pathologist said there were other secondary injuries such as bruises on the lungs, which are consistent with rolling on the ground several times.

"On her right hip area, there was a puncture but it does not go inwards, so she landed on a blunt object. This is not consistent with a stab wound. In addition to this, there were graze injuries on her back and her scalp was detached. The deceased was also in her menstrual cycle because there was a tampon in her vaginal cavity," he concluded.

Cherotich died on the morning of Sunday, July 14, while in the company of three people named Joseph, Brenda, and Eric, two of whom are in police custody. Eric, who is said to have been her boyfriend, fled after the incident.

The officer in charge of the Directorate of Criminal Investigation in Nakuru West, Charles Kamau, said they were pursuing the missing suspect.