Four Acquitted in Murder of US-Based Couple Killed During Kenya Vacation in Nyamira

KISII, Kenya Nov 5 – Four suspects charged with the murder of a Kenyan-American couple who were brutally killed at their home in Gesima, Nyamira County, have been acquitted after the court found insufficient evidence linking them to the killings. The four were accused of murdering Edward Nyagechi and his wife, Grace Mong’ina Morema, in March 2023 while they were visiting Kenya from the United States.

The victims, who were based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, were found dead at their Nyamakoroto home on March 21, 2023, after neighbours raised concern over their failure to appear for their usual morning routine. The murder triggered investigations that led to the arrest and prosecution of four suspects: Ezekiel Mogeni Migiro, Peris Ondara, Dennis Ondara Clement and Peter Njoroge Kirika.

The prosecution had accused the four of participating in the killings, which occurred between the night of March 20 and the early hours of March 21, 2023. However, in its determination, the court found that the evidence presented was insufficient to establish a connection between the accused persons and the murders, resulting in their acquittal. The ruling brings to a close the prosecution of the four suspects in the case, although the court’s findings do not in themselves establish who was responsible for the killings.

The deaths of Morema and his wife sent shockwaves through Nyamira County, particularly because the couple had travelled from the United States for a holiday when they were killed. Postmortem examinations established that Edward had sustained injuries to his head and stab wounds, while Grace died from strangulation. Investigations also uncovered suspicious financial transactions involving mobile phones belonging to the deceased on the night of the killings.

During the trial, witnesses testified about money transfers made from the couple’s phones, including transactions involving Sh62,000. The case attracted considerable public attention, with the family repeatedly seeking answers over the circumstances surrounding the couple’s deaths. By Rosemary Onchari