The investigation into the brutal slaying of university student Rita Waeni Muendo has taken an even more perplexing turn, leaving detectives and pathologists grappling with an unsettling discovery during her autopsy.
Pathologists and investigators were confounded by the deliberate act of Rita’s killers, who went so far as to clip off her fingernails, adding another layer of complexity to the already gruesome case.
Government pathologist Johansen Oduor, addressing the media after the postmortem conducted on Friday, expressed bewilderment at the motive behind this unusual act. “This person who did all these also tried to clip off the fingernails for reasons which I might not be able to know, but for us scientists when we see fingernails clipped off, we think probably the person was trying to hide evidence so that we are unable to get his DNA from the victim,” he explained.
The motive behind the murder remains elusive, with detectives left puzzled by this disturbing detail. Oduor emphasized the significance of such forensic evidence, stating, “I don’t know why, but in investigations, such nails help in gathering evidence. People fight when dying, and DNA evidence can be hidden there.” He mentioned that although some remnants of the fingernails were found, samples were taken for further analysis to aid the ongoing police investigation.
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The autopsy confirmed the brutal dismemberment of Rita’s body, with her head and legs severed from the trunk. Oduor, visibly taken aback, remarked, “This is the first time I am seeing something like this. In my forensic life, I have never come across such an incident.” The skin appeared to be cut with a sharp object, while the bone seemed to be sawed off, suggesting a macabre precision with a tool resembling a hacksaw.
To deepen the investigation, pathologists extracted samples from various organs, including the kidney, stomach, vagina, and blood, for toxicology analysis at a government chemist. This additional testing aims to determine if any substances were introduced to the body.
The shocking discovery of Rita’s dismembered remains, found inside a trash bag in an apartment by the caretaker on January 14, has left the community in shock, and the investigation continues to uncover the dark secrets surrounding her tragic demise.
