Crime sceneDetectives are investigating the discovery of a decomposed, headless body of a man who had been missing for more than two weeks near the Irigiro River in Kigumo Sub-County, Murang'a County.
The body was identified as that of James Wanjau Gichohi, 34, from Gitaimbuka Village in Githumu, police said.
According to police, members of the public who had gone to collect firewood near the Irigiro River on Monday evening alerted authorities after noticing a foul smell emanating from the area.
Upon moving closer, they discovered the badly decomposed body of an adult male with the head missing.
Police officers responded to the scene and, with the assistance of members of the public, retrieved the body.
The deceased was later identified by his cousin, who confirmed that Wanjau had been reported missing since June 25, 2026.
Crime Scene Investigation (CSI) officers processed and documented the scene before the remains were transferred to the AIC Githumu Mission Funeral Home, where they will await a post-mortem examination.
Police have classified the case as a suspected murder and have launched investigations to establish the circumstances surrounding the killing, recover the missing head, and identify those responsible.
The motive for the killing was not immediately known, police said on Tuesday.
In a separate incident, police in Murang'a County arrested a 55-year-old man after his wife was found hanging inside their house in what investigators suspect was a murder staged to look like suicide.
The deceased was identified as Edith Wangechi Wamboi, 27.
According to police, officers from Nyakianga Police Station and detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) in Kiriaini responded to reports of a suspected suicide at Kiriti Village in the Gatunguru area of Mathioya Sub-County.
Upon arrival, officers found Wamboi's body hanging from a rope tied around her neck inside the house.
Preliminary investigations led police to suspect that the woman had been killed before her body was suspended in an attempt to make the death appear to be a suicide.
Police identified the woman's husband, 55, as the prime suspect. Investigators allege that he tied the rope around the deceased's neck after killing her in an attempt to conceal evidence.
Before police arrived, the suspect was reportedly assaulted by angry residents who suspected him of involvement in the woman's death.
He was rescued by officers, arrested, and taken to Kangema Sub-County Hospital for treatment before being placed in police custody pending arraignment.
Crime Scene Investigation (CSI) officers processed and documented the scene before the body was moved to Kangema Hospital mortuary for a post-mortem examination.
Police said investigations into the suspected murder are ongoing. The suspect remains presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
Murder cases have been on the rise as authorities intensify efforts to investigate and solve them. Police say up to eight murder incidents are reported daily.
