Siaya: Man allegedly kills girlfriend, dumps body in gold mine over cheating suspicions

A middle-aged man has been remanded at the Bondo Police Station in Siaya County after he was arrested for allegedly murdering his girlfriend and dumping her body in a gold mining pit at Nango area.

Edwin Omondi Ochieng’ was alleged to have been behind the disappearance of Maurine Achieng’, who had not been seen since January 1, 2024.

The matter was reported at Kopolo Police Station on Thursday before the man was arrested and, upon interrogation, confessed to having murdered Maurine at his house on January 3, 2024.

Preliminary investigations have established that Edwin murdered his girlfriend on suspicion of cheating, before he dumped her body in a 9-foot deep gold mining pit, which he then covered with iron sheets and soil.

The accused was last seen with the deceased on January 1, 2024 during a drinking spree at Ghorofani bar in Nango trading center, before they both headed to the suspect’s house.

After confessing to the murder, the man directed the officers to the pit where the body of the deceased was exhumed in the presence of the county security team and personnel from the public health department following an order from the Bondo Law Courts.

A wheelbarrow believed to have been used to ferry the body was recovered from the scene and preserved as exhibit.

A blood-soaked yellow T-shirt and a white trouser were also found in the accused person’s house and will be subjected to forensic analysis.

The decomposed body of the deceased has since been taken to the Bondo sub-county hospital mortuary pending autopsy.

The suspect has been remanded for 14 days at Bondo Police Station to give room for completion of investigations and mental assessment.