A court in Kajiado has granted detectives eight more days to hold the main suspect in the abduction and murder of Shantel Nzembi, a grade two pupil.
Nativity Mutindi Nthuku, 27, who appeared before Resident Magistrate Edwin Mulochi alongside her accomplice Patrick Wambare Muriithi, will be held until June 15, when they will take plea.
Nthuku, who was arrested on June 4 at her hideout in Athi-river, is believed to have lured the minor to her killers as she used to operate an M-pesa shop near her home in Kitengela town.
One of the sim-cards used to call the Minor’s mother to demand for a Sh300,000 ransom was also found in her possession.
Two other suspects are already in custody in connection with the girl’s abduction and murder. Livingston Makacha Otengo, a boda boda rider and Francis Mbuthia Mikuhu, 42 were arrested on June 2 in Orata and Kiserian areas respectively.
Otengo was found in possession of the mobile phone used to call the deceased’s mother, demanding for a ransom while, Mikuhu was arrested as one of the sim-cards which the ransom money to be wired was registered with his Identity card.
The two who appeared in court on June 3 failed to take pleas as police were granted ten more days to hold them as they finalise their investigations.
Shantel Nzembi disappeared from her home in Kitengela on May 29 after going out to play with friends. On May 31, her body was found dumped in a thicket in Orata area, Noonkopir.
A postmortem report carried out by Government’s pathologist Johansen Oduor on June 4, revealed that she had died as a result of suffocation in the mouth and nose.
Shantel will be laid to rest at her rural home in Mwaka, Machakos on June 12.
By Rop Janet
