A second suspect was captured on Wednesday after a shoot-out on the outskirts of Siaya Town. The woman, whose identity is not revealed, was found with a gun belonging to slain Wells Fargo manager Willis Onyango Ayieko.
Police confirmed she was with her boyfriend, who is considered the key suspect behind the murder of Ayieko. The suspect’s boyfriend managed to escape with bullet wounds during the clash.
The police said that the couple was attacked while driving in a salon car on Wednesday morning and was involved in a violent exchange of gunfire. “During his escape, the suspect dropped a pistol, which was later identified to be Ayieko’s,” read the report.
Bloodstains at the scene indicate that the boyfriend, too, was injured. “We believe the prime suspect escaped with gunshot wounds,” said a police officer who was part of the investigations. “We appeal to local health facilities to report any injured persons immediately.”
Police, upon receiving the incident report, launched a manhunt. Major roads leading to and from Siaya Town were blocked as the search began. The woman is currently in custody to help in investigations.
This is the second major breakthrough to have taken place since the incident. In an earlier development, the suspect was arrested in Nairobi’s Dandora area on Monday night. The police said he was flushed out of a hideout that he had rented using proceeds from the crime.
Forensic analysis placed the suspect at the scene of Ayieko’s murder. A joint team from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) is leading the investigation.
DCI said the suspect withdrew cash using Ayieko’s mobile phone from an M-Pesa agent. The suspect is an ex-convict released from Khwisero area, neighboring Teso North.
An autopsy conducted on Ayieko’s body indicated that he died due to severe head injuries. The chief government pathologist Dr. Johansen Oduor said, “There was bleeding to the brain. Other injuries included bruises from handcuffs.”
He also said that missing tissues were likely to be because of the action of animals. “We found a dead crab on the clothes,” he added.
The postmortem was conducted in Nairobi at Lee Funeral Home, in the company of relatives, Siaya Governor James Orengo, and several MPs.
