This archive report was first published on 8 July 2021.
On July 8, 2021, High Court judge Jessie Lessit delivered a verdict that acquitted Philip Onyancha, a suspected serial killer, of one murder charge.
The acquittal came after the judge ruled that the prosecution did not provide sufficient evidence to convict Onyancha of the murder of Jackline Chepngetich Misoi, which occurred in 2008 along Munyiri road in Nairobi.
According to the judge, the prosecution witnesses failed to connect Onyancha to the crime scene, exonerating him in the process.
Onyancha was initially arrested in 2008 and charged with murder, kidnapping, and other offences. However, his case took a dramatic turn when he allegedly confessed to his crimes, but the judge later ruled that the video confession and transcripts were inadmissible due to a breach of the Evidence (Out of Court Confessions) Rules, 2009.
The judge found that the police had infringed upon Onyancha's Bill of Rights by handcuffing him during the confession and failing to produce his brother as requested.
