HOMABAY,Kenya, Oct, 13 – A tense court room in Homabay county characterised the mood amidst a ruling of a crime most foul.
Walter Okaro was was accused of strangling and poisoning his two step-children in the absence of their mother who was away when the incident occurred.
During the proceedings, the court was informed of how the accused premeditated the gruesome killings after it was established that he had initially locked the two children inside the house. He is then said to have burnt their clothing as well as those of their mothers in a failed attempt to hid his crime.
The prosecution further informed the court that a third child, had managed to escape the wrath of her sibling’s would be killer after accompanying a friend to the local shop during the incident.
The incident occurred on October 25, 2015 in Rimu village in Dhiwa.
While rendering their testimonies, the two children who had gone to the shop told the court that upon coming back home, they had screams emanating from the house which was locked from the inside.
Appearing before Justice Waweru Kiarie the deceased’s mother Beatrice Atieno said that she had left her children in the custody of her husband as she left for work very early in the morning.
“While at work, a school girl brought to me my house keys and told me that my husband had given her the keys to bring to me,” she narrated.
Perplexed by the news, she immediately left work for home and found scores of residents at her home. It was at this point where she discovered the tragic news.
“One of my children was already dead, the other one was in so much pain..we rushed him to the hospital but he died while receiving treatment,” a teary mother narrated.
A postmortem report presented in court revealed that one of the children died as a result of poisoning while the other died of poisoning and strangulation.
Though the suspect continued to plead not guilty, Justice Waweru ruled that the evidence against him was overwhelming and could not be ignored.
“The killing of the two children was carefully planned by the accused. He ensured that there were no eye witnesses by sending the other children present to “buy” mandazi. I therefore find that prosecution has proved malice aforethought and consequently I find the accused guilty of the offence of murder and accordingly convict him,” said justice Kiarie.
The suspect is expected to be sentenced Thursday.
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