• The identification and subsequent recovery of the vehicle followed a thorough forensic analysis of crucial leads, which pointed to a residential place in Kithoka.
• The investigating team has identified Vincent Mureithi Kirimi alias Supuu as the driver who hired the vehicle on the date of the abduction.
Police recovered the vehicle that was allegedly used to abduct the late Daniel Muthiani Benard alias Sniper and later disposed of his body at Mutonga River in Chiakariga area of Tharaka Nithi.
The murder happened on December 2, 2023.
The identification and subsequent recovery of the vehicle, a silver Toyota Premio followed a thorough forensic analysis of crucial leads, which pointed to a residential place in Kithoka, Meru County.
In the latest establishments, the investigating team has identified Vincent Mureithi Kirimi alias Supuu as the driver who hired the vehicle on the date of the abduction, ferrying three other occupants.
Further investigations are ongoing with the Homicide team working expeditiously on the case.
Plea-taking of two suspects in the murder of the blogger was last week deferred for a week.
This will allow the prosecution to conduct various tests on the suspects.
Supuu and Murangiri Kenneth Guantai Alias Tali were arraigned before the High Court in Kiambu in connection with the murder of Sniper.
The prosecution team, however, made an application before Kiambu High Court Deputy Registrar Jackline Karani, seeking to defer the plea for seven days pending a mental assessment of the suspects.
In her ruling, the Deputy Registrar allowed the prosecution application and directed that each suspect be subjected to a psychiatrist assessment and the report tabled in court before a plea is taken.
The suspects were detained at Muthaiga Police Station until January 29 2024 when they are expected to take a plea.
DPP Renson Ingonga ordered the two to be charged with murder.
The Chief Government pathologist Johansen Oduor who conducted the postmortem on December 22 said the deceased was tortured before being strangled.
He also had fractured ribs.
According to investigators, the deceased was lured by the five suspects through a phone call alleging that a senior leader wanted to meet him.
She was however not in the office and reports say she did not meet him.
The matter shall be mentioned on January 29, 2024.