Three and a half years after a Kenyan couple living in Minnesota were found dead at their Nyamira home during a visit, the four people charged with killing them have walked out of court free.

The High Court in Nyamira acquitted Ezekiel Mogeni Migiro, Peris Ondara, Dennis Ondara Clement and Peter Njoroge Kirika of murdering Edward Morema Nyagechi and his wife Grace Mong'ina Morema. Justice T.W. Cherere found that the prosecution had not established a sufficient link between the accused and the killings, Court Helicopter and Capital FM reported on Thursday.

A killing that shook Nyamira

The couple, who lived in Minneapolis, had travelled home for a holiday. They were killed on the night of March 20 to 21, 2023, and their bodies were found the next morning after neighbours noticed they had not appeared for their usual routine. Post-mortem results showed Edward had head injuries and stab wounds, while Grace had been strangled. Investigators also found that money had been moved from the couple's phones that night, including Sh62,000.

Why the case collapsed

The prosecution called 17 witnesses and argued that the evidence, taken together, formed a chain pointing to the four. The judge looked at each link and found it would not hold:

  • A househelp said she saw a visitor at the home the evening before and later picked out Migiro at an identification parade. The court found the identification unreliable given the darkness, rain and a power blackout. A claimed revenge motive linked to his earlier conviction for stealing USD 2,000 from the couple's daughter was not enough on its own.
  • Ondara was linked through a succession dispute over the estate of her late husband and alleged threats against Edward. The court said this did not implicate her in the killings.
  • Phone records allegedly placed a number linked to Clement near the scene, but the line was registered to someone else who never testified, and cell-site data covered only broad areas. A firearm found during his arrest had no ballistic link to the deaths, since neither victim had gunshot wounds.
  • Kirika was tied to the Sh62,000 transfer and a Sh35,500 ATM withdrawal in Limuru. The court accepted the transactions happened but found it was not proved that he controlled the receiving number or was the masked person in the CCTV footage. Key witnesses, including the registered owner of the line, were not called.

Government Analyst evidence showed blood on several exhibits belonged to the couple, but no DNA tied any of the accused to the scene.

Still no answers

Defence lawyer Mr Nyaberi had argued that no witness saw any of the four attack the couple and that the case rested entirely on circumstantial evidence. The acquittal ends this prosecution, but it leaves the family's central question open: who killed Edward and Grace. It was not immediately clear whether the prosecution intends to appeal.

Photos: Court Helicopter (Edward Morema Nyagechi and Grace Mong'ina Morema); Judiciary of Kenya emblem. Thumbnail design: HAMASTA MEDIA.