What next? DCI complete investigations on Jeff Mwathi’s death

DCI officers probing the murder case of interior designer Jeff Mwathi have concluded their investigations and forwarded the file to the Director of Public Prosecutions for directions.

The Directorate of Criminal Investigation said in a statement via Twitter that the fresh probe was followed by new evidence availed by the government Pathologist and the government Chemist after a repeat autopsy was conducted on the body.

“The file is now complete and has been forwarded to the Director of Public Prosecutions this evening, for perusal and advice,” the DCI said.

Mwathi, 23, died on February 22, 2023, in unclear circumstances.

Initial police reports cited suicide after the youthful designer allegedly jumped to his death from a friend’s house on the tenth floor of an apartment in Kasarani, Nairobi.

His family disputed this finding prompting Interior CS Kithure Kindiki to order homicide detectives from the DCI to take over the case and establish the true circumstances under which Mwathi died.

The body was on March 31 exhumed and a fresh autopsy was conducted at the grave site at Mwathi’s parents’ home in Likia, Nakuru County.

Police sought orders for the exhumation after preliminary forensic investigations ruled out suicide as the cause of death.

Detectives wanted to also establish whether Jeff was sexually assaulted before being murdered.

Detectives working on the case discounted the suicide theory saying they believe Jeff was murdered before his body was thrown off the apartment’s rooftop.

They said a visit to the room where he is alleged to have jumped from his window established that the grills leave too little room for a person to pass through.

Mugithi musician Lawrence Njuguna alias DJ Fatxo who admitted that Jeff was in his house the day he died is considered a person of interest.

All five persons who were at DJ Fatxo’s house when the incident happened were grilled.

Also questioned, according to DCI, are the police officers who handled the case first.

Fatxo, who termed Jeff as his good friend, has since denied involvement in his death and said he will cooperate with investigators.

He told the Media on March 12 that he was the one who reported to the police about Jeff’s disappearance on the morning he died.

This was after he left in the company of three ladies but returned hours later but did not find Jeff in the house.