Postmortem reveals what killed Joyce Syombua and her two children

Joyce Syombua died from injuries on her head and brain inflicted by a blunt object while her two children were strangled with a rope to death, postmortem conducted on their bodies has revealed.

Chief Government Pathologist Johansen Oduor spoke in Nanyuki mortuary on Wednesday afternoon after close to 5 hours conducting the postmortem that was witnessed by detectives and the prime suspect Major Peter Mugure’s lawyer.

Mr. Oduor added that they cannot however tell the exact time the murders took place as the bodies had already started decomposing.

He further stated that they are also unable to confirm or deny fears of a possible poisoning before the killings but that they have taken samples for testing.

Bodies of Joyce Syombua (31) and children; Shanice Maua (10) and Prince Michael (5), were on Saturday discovered at Makaburini in Thingithu area, approximately 9-minutes away from the Laikipia Air Base, with the children stacked on top of their mother.

Major Peter Mugure, the key suspect in the murders, and his co-accused Collins Pamba were on Monday arraigned in court and detained for 21 days pending conclusion of investigations.

Central region’s Senior Deputy Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions, Peter Mailanyi, told a Nanyuki court to give police more time saying there are several complexities in trying to unravel the murder of the three family members.

Mr. Mailanyi also argued that Joyce Syombua’s phone needs to be subjected to more analysis and Major Mugure’s residence further investigated.