Autopsy: Some Shakahola Cult Victims Were Smothered, Strangled To Death

MALINDI, Kenya May 2 -Four of the 30 bodies from Shakahola forest which were examined on Tuesday May 2 showed signs of murder.

The Chief Government pathologist Dr Johansen Oduor said the autopsy revealed the cause of death as strangulation, blunt object trauma and smothering.

Of the 30 bodies, eight were male while 22 were female. Apart from six whose death could not be determined, the rest died of starvation

“We did autopsies of 15 adults and 9 children. There were six persons who we were not able to determine for certain whether they were adults or not because of the level of decomposition,” Dr Oduor said.

Dr Oduor added that two of the bodies that showed signs of murder died of asphyxia, while the other, achild, was hit on the head with a blunt object. The fourth victim was strangled.

“We could clearly see rope marks on the neck of one of them. We have also recorded some broken bones in the neck. We are sure that this person, a child, was strangled to death,” Dr Oduor said.

“The results also revealed that two of the victims were smothered to death.”