A 17-year-old girl, Lizz Njeri Mwangi, has been taken into custody by detectives for the horrifying murder of a three-year-old child in Mchanganyiko, Kiamaina ward, Nakuru county, Kenya.
On Sunday, June 22, 2025, the minor went to church with her mother and other relatives.
Little Margaret Wanjiru went outside to play as the church service went on, and her mother would come out a few moments later to see how she was doing.
“When I went outside, I asked her brother where the child was, but she was nowhere to be seen,” her mother, Regina, told journalists.
“While looking for her in the church compound, the mother was informed that her daughter had been spotted outside the church premises, lying on the ground.
“I went and found her lying on the ground, and she was unconscious. We rushed her to the hospital, and she was pronounced dead upon arrival.”
Investigations started right away, with the authorities retracing the young girl’s final moments by looking through the CCTV footage from the nearby residences. The last person to be spotted with the young Wanjiru as they left the church premises together was Mwangi.
The young girl was taken to a remote location in the neighbourhood by Mwangi, who then strangled her to death.
“She was captured by the secret cameras installed in the area’s streetlightscommitting the cold-blooded murder. The CCTV shows that the girl used the same scarf that I had dressed Wanjiru with,” she said.
When questioned by the authorities on why she did it, she gave bizarre answers that shocked the victim’s family.
“When asked why she did it, she said that she hated my daughter since joining our church,” the victim’s mother added.
Wanjiru’s father said that the girl also attributed her crime to a ‘spirit’ that she alleged possessed her.
“She had said that she had been possessed by a spirit which directed her to do the crime,” he said.
The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) in a statement on Monday, confirmed that detectives arrested the suspect at her residence in Judea Village, Menengai Sub-Location, within Kiamaina Ward.
Upon arrest, officers recovered the clothes the suspect wore during the commission of the offense as captured on CCTV, as well as the piece of cloth used to commit the heinous act.
“17-year-old Lizz Njeri Mwangi has been apprehended as the prime suspect in the horrific m8rder of 3-year-old Margaret Wanjiru Kirathe that unfolded in Menengai, Nakuru County,” the statement read.
“This is after officers received a disturbing report about a young child found unconscious approximately 50 meters from PCEA Shalom Mchanganyiko Church. Unfortunately, despite swift action, the child was pronounced dead upon arrival at Kenlands Hospital.
“Preliminary investigations revealed that the suspect reportedly lured little Margaret away from the church, leading her to a secluded place, where she strangled her using a piece of cloth. The motive, however, is yet to be established.
“Acting on intelligence, officers launched an operation that led to Lizz Njeri Mwangi’s arrest at her residence in Judea Village, Menengai Sub-Location, within Kiamaina Ward.
“Upon arrest, officers recovered the clothes the suspect wore during the commission of the offence as captured on CCTV, as well as the piece of cloth used to commit the heinous act.
“Lizz is currently in custody, where she is undergoing processing pending arraignment.”
