Kevin Kang’ethe, the Kenyan man accused of murdering his girlfriend in the United States and then fleeing to Kenya last year has been arraigned in a US Court following his extradition to the country.
Kang’ethe was arraigned on Tuesday at Suffolk Superior Court where he was charged with the murder of his girlfriend Margaret “Maggie” Mbitu who was a Brockton behavioral health nurse.
Clerk Magistrate Edward Curley ordered Kangethe to be held without bail after the suspect pleaded not guilty to the charge.
The deceased’s family overfilled courtroom 705 during the alleged killer’s arraignment where they expressed hope following the judge’s ruling.
“It has been a long journey coming. Today gives us hope and represents a step forward toward justice,” Mbitu’s sister wrote in a personal statement read after the arraignment.
“When I lost my sister, I lost a personal friend, a confidant, and the only person I knew I could speak to. We will continue to fight until this coward is locked up, and never sees the light again or get to hurt another family and take their loved one away from them,” she added.
The seventh-floor anteroom was abuzz both during and after the hearing with members of Mbitu’s extended family as well as representatives of the various law enforcement agencies.
Kang’ethe Arraigned in a US Court
Diplomatic agencies that worked together to investigate Mbitu’s murder and to bring him back from Nairobi, Kenya, to face his charge in Boston were also in the courtroom.
Also Read: Court Gives Way Forward for Kang’ethe Before Extradition
Kang’ethe, once a fugitive after fleeing the US and later escaping from Muthaiga Police Station, was arraigned following his extradition to Massachusetts.
The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) in a statement said that Kang’ethe left Kenya on Sunday September 2, 2024.
“The extradition comes after DPP Renson Ingonga assured FBI Director Christopher Wray…that his office was keen to ensure justice involving this case was done in an expeditious manner,” the statement said.
“To the family of the Late Margaret Mbitu, we offer our support and prayers.”
The 40-year-old is alleged to have killed his girlfriend Margaret Mbitu, a home health care aide in the town of Halifax, Massachusetts – between October 30 and November 1, 2023.
Mbitu worked as a per diem nurse for group homes ran by the Brockton-based BAMSI, which works with people with developmental disabilities and mental and behavioral health challenges. The company had reported her missing and uploaded a missing poster to their website.
Murder suspect flees to Kenya
Kang’ethe then fled to Kenya and a warrant for his arrest was issued by a district court in Chelsea, Massachusetts, which was followed by an extradition request made to DPP Ingonga.
Also Read: Court Gives Way Forward on Fate of Kenyan Man Accused of Killing Girlfriend in US
He was arrested on January 30, 2024, in Parklands, Nairobi County, but escaped from custody before being re-arrested.
Evidence showed that Kang’ethe violently attacked and repeatedly stabbed Mbitu in the face and neck leading to her death.
She went missing on October 30, 2023, after leaving her place of work, and efforts by the family to trace her were futile. A preliminary investigation showed that she left her place of work and travelled to Lowell with Kang’ethe where he lived.
The family reported her missing to the Whitman Police Department, who later enlisted the assistance of Massachusetts state police.
Police found out that the deceased and Kang’ethe travelled to Lowell on the morning of October 31, 2023. On November 1, 2023, police discovered the body of Mbitu in the front passenger seat of Kang’ethes’ Toyota Venza car.
He escaped to Kenya and went into hiding in various suburbs of Nairobi County, where he used various phone numbers to call his friends in the US as well as his family, relatives, and friends in Kenya.
After his initial arrest in Kenya, Kang’ethe escaped from Muthaiga police station under mysterious circumstances. At the time, police said he escaped while meeting with a man who claimed to be his lawyer.
He was then captured in Ngong and brought before a Nairobi court, ending a 5-day manhunt.
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