A 45 years old man who was found guilty of the murder of Githongo Law Courts senior Magistrate Caroline Kemei’s daughter has been sentenced to serve 40 years in jail by a Chuka law court.
Chuka high court judge Lucy Gitari convicted the man, Benson Kimathi Marangu, a former prison warden for brutally killing Maribel Kapolon, a 9-year-old girl on September 16, 2018 and throwing the body at Gitoro forest in Meru County.
While delivering the ruling, the judge said that all the evidence provided in court proved without a doubt that Benson Kimathi murdered the young girl after a failed relationship with the mother.
The court heard that the accused had a very close relationship with Maribel where he would pick her up at a petrol station along Meru town- Makutano road after being dropped off by the school bus.
On the fateful day, the girl was nowhere to be found after the accused developed a disagreement with the girl’s mother making him the first suspect.
He was charged alongside Francis Otudo who called the family demanding for a ransom of sh500, 000 when the girl went missing.
He was however released after serving a 4-year jail term as it was found that he was an opportunist who took advantage of the situation but was not involved in the murder.
The case was first heard at Meru High Court under Justice Alfred Mabega before being transferred to Chuka High court to pave the way for more investigations in October 2018.
By Armstrony Munene and Sharon Gitau
