The prime suspect in the murder of 26 year-old Starlet Wahu Mwangi could be a serial killer and extortionist.
Police have widened their probe into the theories following new developments and statements recorded.
The motive of the murder of Wahu who was a sister to evangelist Pastor Kanyari remains unknown.
This development of the suspect being a serial killer follows another victim’s report at the Makadara sub-county police headquarters, detailing her attempted murder by the suspect identified as John Matara, whom she met on a dating site.
The investigations took a different twist on Saturday after more victims emerged to record statements of assaults, extortion and attempts on their lives by the 30-year-old Matara.
He told police he is a graphic designer. He added the deceased woman first attacked him unprovoked before he retaliated and stabbed her in the thigh rapturing a vein.
One of the women claimed that she fell victim to the suspect on December 29 last year, days after meeting on a dating site.
The victim described her encounter with Matara on a dating site before booking an AirBnB, where he initiated a violent assault, demanding access to her financial accounts.
“I met this guy on a dating site…he seemed so nice and even took me to an AirBnB. In the middle of the night he started strangling me and even asked for my M-Pesa statements,” she said.
“He was trying to strangle me so much.”
Preliminary police findings show Matara might be a serial killer targeting women through online dating platforms.
“He did bad things to me and asked for my accounts and asked me to transfer the money to him,” she added.
The victim, who requested to remain anonymous, identified Matara as the perpetrator after news of Wahu’s murder spread, confirming that the individual matched the person she encountered.
“It is the same guy…the number posted by DCI is the same guy I can testify that I used to transfer money to him which is John Matara,” the victim narrated.
Another victim said she even went out with Matara and danced before they retired to a room in Roysambu. Therein, he demanded all the money she had received from him while holding a knife on her.
The shocking revelations come after Wahu, who was murdered in an AirBnB in Nairobi’s South B, on January 3 was buried at her parents’ home in Kamulu area of Ruai on Saturday January 6.
Her lifeless body was discovered on Thursday January 4 morning, shortly after checking into the apartment on Wednesday night.
Video surveillance from Papino apartments captured Wahu and Matara entering an elevator within the apartment block on Wednesday, before disembarking on the fourth floor and proceeding to the room which they had reportedly rented for a night.
Makadara police boss Judy Nyongesa said they discovered the deceased’s lifeless body lying in a pool of blood inside the apartment after the security at the AirBnB reported the matter to the authorities.
Matara reportedly hastily left the premises on Thursday morning wearing blood-stained clothes.
He was arrested at Mbagathi hospital where he took himself for treatment for a stab wound to leg and hands.
Police believe he inflicted the wound on himself to mislead the investigators.
A post-mortem examination conducted on the body of Wahu on Friday January 5 revealed that she died due to excessive bleeding caused by stabbing.
Police reports further indicate that there were signs of a struggle between Wahu and her killer, as the scene appeared bloody and chaotic.
Police further discovered HIV testing kits, a used condom, bhang, a bottle of alcohol and a blood-stained kitchen knife, believed to be the murder weapon, at the scene.
The suspect was produced in court and police were allowed to hold him for 21 days pending further probe.
Police want to talk to the family and friends of the suspect as part of the probe.
They will seek to establish what he does for a living.
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