Valarie Njeri, Tob Cohen, Joyce Syombua: Chilling murders that made the news in 2019

The question most Kenyan people have on their minds is “Why?” and unfortunately, investigators did not offer an answer to that question.

17-year-old Valerie Njeri

High school teen Valarie Njeri was on November 28, stabbed over 20 times by a boy her age who had made advances at her unsuccessfully.

Valarie Njeri (right), Tob Cohen (centre), Joyce Syombua (left): Chilling murders that made the news in 2019 Valarie Njeri (right), Tob Cohen (centre), Joyce Syombua (left): Chilling murders that made the news in 2019 Pulse Live Kenya

Njeri had gone to return a Chemistry textbook to her neighbour when he asked her for sex and when she refused, he stabbed her repeatedly and hid her body under his bed.

He would later confess to the murder after police found traces of blood on his clothes and his room.

31-year-old Joyce Syombua, Shanice Maua (10) and Prince Michael (5)

The murders of Syombua and her two children caught the nation by surprise, especially because the prime suspect in the murders is her estranged husband Major Peter Mugure.

The three bodies were discovered in shallow graves on November 16 after the family of Syombua reported them missing.

Valarie Njeri (right), Tob Cohen (centre), Joyce Syombua (left): Chilling murders that made the news in 2019 Valarie Njeri (right), Tob Cohen (centre), Joyce Syombua (left): Chilling murders that made the news in 2019 Pulse Live Kenya

Pathologists found that the two children had died of strangulation while Syombua suffered a fatal blow to the head with a blunt object.

25-year-old Faith Wangui

Another tragic tale of love gone sour is that of one Ms Faith Wangui who left Nakuru to travel to Murang’a to visit her estranged husband Joseph Muchiri.

Faith’s body was found at the Menengai crater on November 17 with her left hand and left breast chopped off.

Faith Wangui. Valarie Njeri (right), Tob Cohen (centre), Joyce Syombua (left): Chilling murders that made the news in 2019 Faith Wangui Pulse Live Kenya

Her face had been seared with acid. The family blamed Muchiri for the murder citing that he had been abusive to her for six years prior.

50-year-old Chege Njuguna

Villagers at Kamuiru, Murang’a County were shocked by the bizarre murder of Chege Njuguna who was skinned and stuffed into a gunny bag.

They believed it to have been a ritualistic killing.

69-year-old Tob Cohen

On September 13 the body of Dutch billionaire Tob Cohen was found dumped in a septic tank in his Kitisuru home, Nairobi, weeks after he had been reported missing and his wife Sarah Wairimu arrested.

Postmortem results indicated that he died as a result of several blows to the head with a blunt object. His body also bore signs of torture.

Sarah Cohen remains the prime suspect in the murder.

Hellen Kwamboka

On May 25 the body of Constable Hellen Kwamboka was found in her house in Umoja Estate, Nairobi.

Deep cuts on her forehead indicated that she had been murdered and DCI detectives arrested one Eric Onyono Nyakundi as the prime suspect in the murder.

Hellen Kwamboka a Police Officer attached to parliament found murdered in her house Pulse Live Kenya

Robert Chesang

Lawyer Robert Chesang was murdered by hit men who opened fire at him as he entered his house in Lukenya, Machakos County on February 17.

Principal Magistrate Pauline Maisy Omungala, the lawyer’s wife, was arrested and faced charges for the assassination though the case is yet to be concluded.

Senior Magistrate Pauline Chesang and her husband lawyer, Robert Chesang Senior Magistrate Pauline Chesang and her husband lawyer, Robert Chesang Pulse Live Kenya

29-year-old Joseph Nyakundi

Joseph Nyakundi, son to lawyer Assa Nyakundi, died at the hands of his own father on March 17 as they were driving home from a Sunday church service.

Assa told police that his gun fired accidentally at his son as he tried to remove it from its holster.

Assa has maintained that the fatal shooting was accidental though ballistic reports indicate that Joseph was shot by a person standing outside the car.

32-year-old Mildred Odira

It remains unclear how Mildred Odira's body ended up dead at the City Mortuary on February 5 just days after she was reported missing.

Mildred Odira. Valarie Njeri (right), Tob Cohen (centre), Joyce Syombua (left): Chilling murders that made the news in 2019 Mildred Odira Pulse Live Kenya

CCTV footage showed Ms Odira being driven into Ruaraka Hospital and the taxi that had ferried her to the hospital leaving at some minutes to dawn.

The taxi driver David Junga Ochieng is the only suspect in the murder.