Suspected serial killer remanded in Meru prison
Duncan Njagi Murithi, a suspected serial killer accused of murdering multiple family members over the past decade, has been remanded in the Meru main prison until September 19, 2023.
Murithi appeared before Meru High Court Judge Justice Thripsisa Cherere to determine whether he could be granted bond, but the prosecution strongly opposed the application, citing the threat and danger he poses to the members of his village.
The prosecution presented detailed attachments, including three affidavits from the brother to the accused, the investigative officer, and the uncle to the accused, all stating that Murithi is a threat risk to the members of the village where he hails from.
The prosecutor also highlighted that the members of the village are fearful and apprehensive of their safety when Murithi visits, to the point where they lock themselves in and are unable to carry out their daily chores.
Furthermore, the accused’s mother disappeared in 2015 and was last seen in the custody of the accused at his home in Kwale. The most recent victim was his sister, who was killed with 13 stab wounds on December 30, 2022.
The prosecution is considering the application of putting witnesses in the witness protection program until the end of the hearing of the criminal determination.
Murithi had a previous criminal case in which he was accused of killing his brother John Magau. However, due to a lack of evidence and witnesses’ fear to appear in court, the matter was withdrawn in 2015.
The prosecution also links Murithi to the murders of three other family members in 2007, 2009, and 2014, including the disappearance of their mother in 2015, who has never been traced.
During the hearing, Judge Cherere granted the prosecution’s request to remand Murithi in prison until the trial begins.