Accused raped, killed victim before posting his photo on deceased's Facebook Account

BY ERIC ABUGA

In January 2025, Joseph Ndichu Gutau posted a photograph of himself on the deceased;  Facebook profile using her stolen phone.

The move drew attention from concerned neighbors who had just discovered the victim’s body. 

The suspect was immediately arrested in connection to the the brutal robbery, rape and murder of a woman at Gatei village in Gatundu North, Kiambu County in the same month.

Forensic evidence later confirmed the victim had been raped before or after the fatal assault.

Tuesday, Court sentenced to death the accused after the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) successfully proved charges of robbery with violence and rape against him.

The court ruled that Prosecutions Counsels Joy Kaaria and Wamuyu Ngugi had presented compelling evidence linking Joseph Ndichu Gitau to all counts.

Prosecution told court that on 17th January 2025, the accused, together with another suspect still at large, robbed the deceased of various household items before fatally attacking her. 

The DPP availed nine witnesses whose testimonies coupled with forensic analysis, placed the accused at the scene of the crime, detailing how investigators recovered a kitchen knife, identified as the murder weapon, and several stolen items from the accused’s house.

"The prosecution presented evidence which left no doubt as to the accused’s guilt. The evidence had met the threshold required to sustain a conviction on both counts," the Court ruled.