Mystery of the Missing Police Bullet that Killed KMTC Student, Sheryl Adhiambo

A two-hour autopsy has confirmed that 21-year-old Sheryl Adhiambo died from a police bullet to the head. However, the investigation has hit a major hurdle. The bullet that killed the Kenya Medical Training College (KMTC) student is missing.

A Fatal Evening in Huruma

The incident happened on a Saturday evening in the Huruma area of Nairobi. Protests and chaos had broken out between local youth and the police. During the confrontation, an officer reportedly fired a weapon.

Sheryl was not involved in the skirmishes. She was helping her mother at a fish stall to help the family make ends meet. She was struck by the gunfire while working at the stall.

The Two-Hour Autopsy

Pathologist Grace Midigo conducted the post-mortem examination, which lasted two hours. The results were clear about the cause of death. Sheryl died due to a gunshot wound that shattered vital organs in her head.

The examination revealed the bullet's path. It entered the left side of her head and exited through the back right. Because the bullet exited the body, it was not recovered during the autopsy.

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“Unfortunately the bullet itself entered through the left and exited at the back-right of the head and it has not been retrieved, but this is not the end of justice,” family lawyer Njanja Maina said.

The Mystery of the Missing Evidence

The fact that the bullet was not found has caused deep concern for Sheryl’s family. They worry that the lack of physical evidence may hinder the search for the specific officer responsible.

Without the bullet, ballistics experts cannot easily match the shot to a specific police firearm.

There are growing fears among the family and local community members regarding the integrity of the investigation.

“What we are calling for is justice for Sheryl, she was still a very young girl,” Sheryl’s mother said.

Some stakeholders have raised concerns about the possibility of evidence being tampered with or a potential cover-up.

Calls for Accountability

The Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) has joined the investigation into the killing. Activists and family members are demanding that the officer involved be held personally responsible.

The search for the missing bullet continues as the community demands that this be the last case of a "trigger-happy" officer taking an innocent life.