This archive report was first published on 17 November 2019.
On November 17, 2019, a team of DCI detectives made a breakthrough in the disappearance of Kayole woman Joyce Syombua and her two children, following a trail of deception and betrayal that led them to a possible burial site.
Major Peter Mugure Mwaura, a soldier serving with the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF), had been arrested by the military police and handed over to DCI detectives as the main suspect in the disappearance of his family.
According to investigators, the family had a soured relationship with Mugure, with allegations of love gone sour and court-ordered child support payments being a point of contention.
However, what would have been an intended murder and hiding of the bodies by Mugure turned out to be a foiled mission, with the suspect now facing murder charges.
The investigation revealed that Joyce Syombua had taken her kids to visit their father, despite the aspersions cast by those around her, including her mother.
After departing to visit Major Peter Mugure, Ms Farizana Syombua, a relative of the missing woman, texted her to enquire about their journey to Nanyuki, and Joyce replied that all was well.
However, the trio never arrived at their home in Kayole, Nairobi, raising suspicion over their safety.
A report was initially made at Soweto and Nanyuki Police stations, prompting investigations into their disappearance.
The discovery of Joyce's mobile phone inside a matatu later opened a can of worms into what turned out to be a brutal triple homicide and a well-calculated cover-up.
Detectives discovered that the matatu in which the phone was found never made a trip to Nairobi, pointing to ulterior motives.
Officials from the Sacco told police that the matatu had been hired for a private function in the Rift Valley on October 28 and did not make a trip to Nairobi as claimed by Major Mwaura.
A statement from a classified witness gave the police the biggest lead in the case, revealing that the army officer had sent him to buy three gunny bags.
With the scattered pieces of evidence pointing to a conclusive direction, Major Peter Mugure led the police to an abandoned cemetery in Thingithu Estate, barely a kilometer from the army base.
After about 30 minutes of analysis and digging, police found three gunny bags containing decomposing bodies that were tied up using plastic ropes inside the shallow grave.
