Bomet man arrested over cold murder of ex-lover in revenge act

A 28-year-old man has been arrested by homicide detectives in Bomet over the suspected murder of a 45-year-old lady, Rachealine Rutto, whose lifeless body was discovered late last month.

The suspect, identified as Wesley Cheruiyot Koech, was smoked out of his hideout in Sailo village, Kipkelion East by the sleuths following a forensic trail.

“Determined to unravel the mystery behind this cold-blooded crime, detectives launched an intensive probe and through forensic trails, the suspect, Wesley Cheruiyot Koech, was eventually smoked out of his hideout in Sailo village, Kipkelion East Sub-County and arrested,” the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) said in a statement.

Koech told the detectives about his abode, where they discovered the murder weapon, a bloodstained knife wrapped in a cloth, as well as the deceased’s ring and a mobile phone containing disturbing photographs of the body taken by the suspect after the killing.

His arrest comes after days of his manhunt by the sleuths following the discovery of the deceased.

The discovery was made by the deceased’s daughter, who had grown increasingly anxious after repeated calls to her mother went unanswered throughout the day.

Driven by concern, she visited her mother’s home, only to be met with a horrifying scene. Rutto’s body lay on the bed in a pool of blood, bearing deep neck wounds and multiple stab injuries to her arm, chest, and back.

It was established that the motive behind the heinous act stemmed from a long-standing grudge. Cheruiyot is said to have harboured resentment after Rutto ended their romantic relationship in 2016, choosing to move on with another man.

Allegedly, Cheruiyot felt betrayed after spending money on her during their time together.

The suspect is currently in police custody, and is expected to be presented in court next week.