New details are starting to unravel about the gruesome means Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) Major Peter Mwaura Mugure apparently employed in the alleged murder of his wife, Joyce Syombua, and two children, Shanice Maua, 10, and Prince Michael, 5.
According to a report by People Daily, police believe that the officer drugged his family first before he strangled them.
The publication indicated that Mugure is believed to have carried out the heinous act on his children outside the Laikipia Airforce barracks before he reportedly killed his wife a few hours later.
He is said to have left with the children at around 9:30 a.m. and drugged them into falling asleep to reduce the chances of causing suspicion.
Police sources speculate that the motive of the murder could have been a court order that compelled the officer to pay Ksh75,000 in monthly children's upkeep, a ruling he allegedly was not okay with.
Earlier, the officer had denied fathering his youngest son until a DNA test proved otherwise.
“The man had only paid the money for three months and had been complaining to friends about being uncomfortable with the arrangement. We believe he enticed the three with the aim of finishing them,” the publication quoted a source from the police.
According to The Standard, the three had visited Mugure in preparation for his daughter's upcoming birthday party.
Quoting Syombua's close friend, Farrizanah Katengu, the publication revealed that the KDF officer had not seen his children for a long time and he did not want to be seen as a stranger during the birthday party.
Bodies of the three were found buried in a shallow grave within Thingithu Estate in Nanyuki, after the arrest of Major Peter Mugure on Saturday, November 16, 2019.
The discovery was made after the suspect led the police to where the bodies were buried.
