A family’s search for a missing 74-year-old man has ended in tragedy after his body was discovered in a thicket along Boatyard Road in Kilifi, with detectives now working to establish who killed him and why.
Highlights
- Charo Kikotero disappeared from his home on September 18.
- His family reported him missing after he failed to return.
- A message from his phone later directed the family to the location of his body.
- Police found his body in a thicket along Boatyard Road.
- Detectives are investigating the circumstances and motive behind the killing.
Main Story
Missing Man Found Dead
Detectives in Kilifi have launched a murder investigation following the discovery of the body of 74-year-old Charo Kikotero in a remote thicket along Boatyard Road.
According to police, Kikotero left his home at around 8am on September 18 but never returned.
Concerned relatives reported him missing, with a missing-person alert circulated two days later as efforts to trace him continued.
Message Leads Family to Body
The search took a grim turn when Kikotero’s family received a message sent from his mobile phone.
The message reportedly indicated that his body had been abandoned in the Boatyard area.
The family and police proceeded to the location, where they found his body concealed deep inside a thicket.
Police said Kikotero had suffered severe injuries and that his head was missing. A search for the missing head was continuing as detectives worked to piece together what happened.
Investigators Begin Murder Probe
Crime Scene Investigation officers examined and documented the scene before the body was taken to Kilifi County Hospital Mortuary.
The remains are being preserved there pending a postmortem examination, which is expected to provide investigators with further information about the circumstances surrounding his death.
Detectives are now pursuing leads aimed at identifying those responsible and determining where and when the killing occurred.
Police Suspect Body Was Moved
Investigators suspect Kikotero may have been killed at another location before his body was transported and abandoned at the Boatyard Road site.
The motive behind the killing remains unknown, with police continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding his disappearance and death.
Authorities are expected to rely on forensic evidence, phone records and other leads as they seek to identify the perpetrators.
As detectives piece together Kikotero’s final movements, his family is left waiting for answers about who took his life and why.
