Government pathologist Johansen Oduor has revealed that 20-year-old Rita Waeni died of strangulation before her body was dismembered.
Oduor, on Thursday, confirmed that a forensic DNA analysis will be further conducted to confirm that the severed head found in a dam in Kiambaa, Kiambu County, belonged to the victim.
Earlier in the week, Oduor stated that the autopsy conducted on the dismembered body was inconclusive owing to the killer's well-calculated plan to conceal evidence.
At the time, the pathologist indicated that it was difficult to determine the presence of strangulation marks and evidence of blunt trauma on the body.
"We suspected that the head belonged to the victim. Upon looking at the head, the main findings are that it was chopped off on the neck at the level of C5 vertebrae. There was bruising on the scalp which was caused by a blunt object. Upon looking at the neck structure, we saw fractures on the bones," he explained.
"From all this, what caused the death was strangulation after which she was decapitated and body dumped."
Further, Waeni's family positively identified the head at the City Mortuary in Nairobi after inspecting the forehead, hair and teeth formation.
The severed head, which was found on Sunday by locals, had stayed in the water for days hence concealing evidence of external marks.
An autopsy of the head was postponed from Tuesday to allow the detectives from the Homicide department at the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) to take over the case to analyse existing forensic evidence.
On Tuesday, Oduor revealed to the press that the inner layers of the skin would provide evidence of what transpired. He believed the killers were professionals owing to the nature in which Waeni was brutally murdered.
Meanwhile, two Nigerian suspects were placed under custody at Kasarani Police Station after detectives traced them to a flat in Ndenderu in Kiambu County, not far from where the severed head was found.
Police also retrieved an axe, butcher's knife, and three laptops among other items at the house.
The suspects will be detained at the station until January 31, 2024, when they will be arraigned in court.
Detectives will also analyse CCTV footage which showed one suspect retrieving keys to the short-term rentals from a shop owner.
