Shock: Missing woman found raped and murdered under her neighbour’s bed in Embu

Residents are in shock after a woman who had been missing for three days was found raped and brutally murdered in the sprawling village of Riangiri in Embu County.

Surprisingly, the decomposing body of the deceased, identified as 35-year-old Lilian Nkatha, was found hidden under the bed in a neighbor’s house.

Nkatha had injuries to her head, neck and left hand, a clear indication that she had been brutally murdered.

A casual worker who was last seen with the deceased is now the main suspect in the brutal murder of the married woman with two children.

The man who owns the house has gone into hiding and is being sought by detectives for questioning.

According to the family and local residents, the deceased disappeared around 11:00 a.m. on Sunday, when she was last seen alive.

The family said Nkatha was called by the worker from the neighbourhood and they went there together. However, when the deceased did not return home that evening, suspicions arose that something was wrong.

On Monday, the family and local residents began a thorough search of the farms and bushes for the dead woman, but they could not find her.

On Tuesday, the family and residents resumed the search and when they did not find the deceased, they reported the incident to the police for investigation.

On Wednesday, however, the family became concerned when they saw flies buzzing over the neighboring house and a foul smell emanating from there.

They reported the incident to the police, whereupon detectives went to the crime scene and broke into the house, which was locked from the inside. There they found the deceased lying in a pool of blood under the suspect’s bed.

“When we learned of our daughter’s mysterious disappearance, we searched everywhere for her without success and then informed the police and took statements,” said Rose Makena, Nkatha’s sister.

Ms. Makena reported that her requests to a local administrator to help them search for the dead body fell on deaf ears.

“When we told the administrator that our daughter was missing and we needed his help, he ignored us,” said Ms. Makena.

The family said Nkatha called her husband Peter Muriithi, who works in Meru, on Sunday morning using the suspects’ mobile phone and they spoke.

Nkatha asked her husband to send her money to buy food and he agreed.

But when Muriithi called his wife on Monday to check on her well-being, he could not reach her because the suspect’s phone was switched off.

Sensing danger, he rushed home and discovered to his horror that his wife was missing. He joined the residents in the search.

“Sadly, my wife’s lifeless body was found in the house where the suspect was staying,” lamented Mr Muriithi.

The family wants to know the motive behind this cruel act, which leaves everyone baffled.

They also call on the police to ensure that the suspect is tracked down and brought to justice.

“We are now crying out for justice. Our daughter has lost her life and the person responsible should be punished according to the principles of law,” said Ms Makena.

According to other reports, Nkatha was seen drinking with the suspect at a local bar before she was reported missing.

Investigators have assured the family and residents that no stone will be left unturned.

“We appeal to the family and residents to be patient and wait for the investigation to be completed,” said one of the detectives, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to brief the media on criminal cases.

Investigators said the case is being treated as a murder and the suspect will be charged with a capital crime once he is arrested and the investigation is complete.

They asked local residents for any information that could contribute to the quick arrest of the suspect, who is known in the area.

Previously, angry residents had tried to demolish the neighboring house in protest, but were prevented from doing so by the police.