AfriPulse
Autopsies have revealed disturbing evidence of murder on seven decomposed bodies discovered in shallow graves in Mwingi in Kitui County.
Government Pathologist Johansen Oduor noted that investigators classified the remains as eight distinct victims after they recovered a severed head separately from the other bodies. Oduor explained that the forensic findings point to a series of violent attacks.
Oduor reported that two of the eight bodies showed clear signs of strangulation, while another victim had multiple stab wounds. He added that three victims sustained severe head injuries, suggesting a particularly brutal pattern of killings.
“We treated them as eight bodies because one had a detached head found separately. We found two who were strangled, three with head injuries, one with a stab wound to the abdomen, and two where the cause of death could not be ascertained due to advanced decomposition,” Dr. Oduor said.
According to Dr. Oduor, investigators believe the victims died as much as three months before their remains were discovered.
He said, “Because of the varying levels of decomposition, it was difficult to estimate, but from a casual look I can say within the last three months.”
The postmortem examinations also showed that all the bodies had reached an advanced stage of decomposition, which made visual identification impossible. As a result, investigators have shifted to DNA profiling and have already submitted samples to government laboratories to help confirm the victims’ identities.
Dr. Oduor said, “When bodies are so decomposed, they all look alike. That’s why relatives of missing persons must provide DNA so comparisons can be done.”
Critics are questioning the decision to move the bodies from Mwingi to Nairobi for the autopsies, but Dr. Oduor defended the transfer by citing Mwingi’s lack of proper facilities.
“Because we knew the local mortuary lacked the necessary infrastructure for such difficult autopsies, we decided to perform them in Nairobi,” Oduor explained. “We will return the bodies to Mwingi for preservation once we finish so relatives can come forward.”
Detectives must now identify the victims, determine their cause of death, and hunt down those responsible.
The discovery of multiple human bodies in a suspected mass grave last week has sparked tensions in the area, with residents and local leaders urging the government to act quickly.
The grim find on Monday has also raised fears that a serial killer or a criminal syndicate may be operating nearby. Detectives later arrived in Mwingi town and cordoned off the area as forensic teams began an exhumation exercise amid concerns that additional bodies may have been buried there.
Authorities said the search started after investigators discovered a dismembered body at the site on Monday, June 8.
The latest discovery comes less than a month after police found two other mutilated bodies in the same area, a man and a woman, whose remains included a body without its head.
Source: NairobiWire.com | Read the Full Story…
