Police may recall Louis next week

FRIDAY, 02 MARCH 2012 00:03 BY MAXWELL MASAVA

TV personality Louis Otieno will be recalled for further questioning by detectives investigating the death of Careen Chepchumba Kili who was found murdered on Valentine's Day. The watchmen who were on duty at the apartment block where Careen lived are also expected to be interviewed again next week.

The 26-year-old employee of Kenya Power was found dead in her flat at Santonia Apartments on Kirichwa Road in Kilimani between February 13 and 14. The fresh interviews will follow toxicological test results that showed no trace of poison or drugs in her internal organs to support the initial suspicion that she had committed suicide.

The Government Chemist released the toxicological results to the police this week. “Toxicology results from Careen postmortem examination revealed no trails of poison substances. They (detectives) are likely to have another round of interrogations maybe to unravel other theories including murder,” said an official at the Government Chemist.

Police have now concluded that it was murder and finally ruled out the possibility of suicide. Private and government postmortems carried out three days after her death revealed she had been strangled as she had bruises on her neck. She also had marks on her hands although police found no signs of struggle in the house. Her naked body covered in a sheet was found on a tidy bed suggesting the assailant(s) simply subdued her during the attack. Investigations have ruled out any sexual motive.

Police have collected scrapings from under Careen's fingernails that have been sent for DNA analysis. A week after the murder, Otieno provided blood and fingernails for DNA samples to the police to try and clear his name. The watchmen who were on duty at the Santonia apartment block where Careen lived have denied seeing anyone visit her flat around the time of her murder.

Otieno, who has described Careen as his "dear friend", has denied harming her and said his name will be cleared.He has denied reports that Careen got heavily into debt to support his high-living lifestyle including buying cars for him. He has alleged that Careen had been abused at home and he had intervened on several occasions as well as given her advise.

Careen was buried last Friday in Baraton, Nandi. Her family are still there but her father Hosea Kili, MD of LAP Trust, said they would travel back to Nairobi soon to pursue their investigations. He has promised to give more details on his daughter's death claiming she had confided in family members about her troubled relationship.

During the funeral, Kili said his daughter was a victim of a “toxic" relationship. Kili appeared to be pointing the finger at Otieno who in turn has alleged that Careen had an abusive relationship with her father. Detectives are still trying to retrace Careen's final movements and those of various people known to her. They have been checking phone records and other information. Careen made her last calls on February 13, Monday morning to her colleague saying that she would only come to work at 11 am as she had some errands to run. She never arrived.