This archive report was first published on 3 August 2019.
On August 18, 2015, a repeat autopsy was conducted on the body of Benedict Karau at the Meru Funeral Home in the presence of Dr Sylvester Maingi, a pathologist from Embu, and the OCS of Mikinduri Police Station, following a court order issued on July 23, 2015.
Dr Johansen Oduor, the government pathologist who conducted the repeat autopsy, was cross-examined at the Meru Magistrate Court on Thursday. He was questioned by Otieno Abuor, who is representing the late Karau's third widow.
During the cross-examination, Dr Oduor was unable to confirm whether the coffin was intact after exhumation or if photos were taken to document the same. However, he explained that the body was in a coffin that had slightly caved in, but was intact and no injury was caused by the glass.
The first postmortem was performed on March 12, 2015, at Consolata Hospital by Scholastica Kimani and Moses Njue, who found the cause of death to be Myocardial infarction, or the death of the heart muscles.
The results of the repeat autopsy were inconclusive, as the heart, which had initially been indicated as the cause of death, could not be found.
The hearing will continue on November 7, when five witnesses are expected to testify.
