The trial of Sarah Wairimu Kamotho, charged with the murder of her husband, businessman Tob Cohen, resumed Friday at the deceased’s Kitisuru residence.
The Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) called two additional witnesses, including Frank Anunda, a retired officer from the Crime Scene Support Service at the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI). Anunda played a pivotal role in processing the crime scene.
Anunda testified that on September 10, 2019, he received an urgent call from Inspector Maxwell Otieno of the Homicide Section, instructing him to head to the home of the accused in Kitisuru.
He arrived at 3:00 PM to find a team of DCI investigators, forensic experts from the Government Chemist, two workers, the suspect (Sarah Wairimu), and two lawyers at the scene.
The investigation team worked diligently to document and process the crime scene until 9:30 pm, when they called it a day.
On September 13, 2019, at 10:30 pm, Anunda received another urgent call from the lead investigator, directing him to return to the scene.
As the team combed through a pile of objects in the compund, they uncovered a sealed underground water tank, which contained a small amount of water.
The tank had been sealed with cement, suggesting an attempt to conceal something.
“When we removed the sealed cover and used a spotlight to look inside, we immediately spotted an object wrapped in black cloth,” Anunda testified.
“When we pulled it out, we discovered it was a human body.”
It was, indeed, the lifeless body of Tob Cohen.
The entire discovery was meticulously documented with forensic photography. Anunda presented to court six booklets containing 105 photographic prints as evidence in court.
Among these were 24 photographs showing the moment Cohen’s body was retrieved from the underground tank, as well as five photos of Sarah Wairimu viewing the body at Chiromo Mortuary.
Additionally, the court was shown 24 photographs from the post-mortem examination, revealing both external and internal injuries.
Six images from a dental examination were also presented, confirming the identity of the deceased through a distinctive golden tooth.
Anunda also tabled in court photographic documentation of multiple areas inside Cohen’s home, including his office, bedroom, dressing room, guest bedroom, the accused’s bedroom, laundry area, and various bathrooms.
Detailed images of the sitting room, guest washroom, and TV room washroom, where biological samples were collected, were also included in the evidence.
In related news, Justice Diana Kavedza denied Sarah Wairimu’s third request for bond.
The prosecution had opposed the application, citing Sarah’s lack of remorse, as well as a prior attempt to intimidate a police officer and witness.
The judge ruled that, in light of these actions, bail would not be granted at this stage of the trial.
Justice Kavedza also ordered that the deceased’s home remain preserved for future witness testimony.
The home will be under the custody of the Officer Commanding Station (OCS) at Spring Valley police station, and neither the accused nor her family will be allowed access without prior court authorization.
The case will be mentioned again on May 7, 2025, for further directions.
Sarah Wairimu Cohen, the widow of the deceased, is accused of murdering her husband on July 19, 2019.
The prosecution team in this case is led by Vincent Monda, Wangui Gichuhi, Ebby Maswai, Sarah Ogweno, Peris Maina, Christine Timoi, and Lindah Mwamburi.
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