The family of slain international athlete Agnes Tirop has refused to enter into a plea deal with the family of Ibrahim Rotich, the main suspect in the murder of the athlete.
Justice Reuben Nyakundi, while presiding over the case on Thursday in the High Court in Eldoret, advised both families to ponder on the plea bargain matter and see if they’ll reach common ground before he gave the further directive on the issue. “I am giving the two parties a last chance on this issue of the plea bargain to give direction on the matter,” he said.
According to Lwayer Simiyu Khatete, representing the defendant, his client wanted a plea bargain with the family of Tirop. “We had hoped that there would be a white smoke as regards to plea bargain with the victim’s family but to our utter shock the other party has turned down the offer,” he said to the Judge.
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According to Richard Waringi, representing the family of the victim, “The family of the victim is not willing to pursue the plea bargain and if that will happen, we will still retain the charges of murder against the accused person owing to the circumstances under which the victim met her death.”
Judge Reuben gave a directive to the two parties to appear before him on April 18, 2023, once they have an agreement on the plea bargain route before he gives further direction on the matter.
Tirop was a long-distance runner who won Bronze medals in the 10000 meters at the 2017 and 2019 World Athletic Championships. she won a gold medal at the 2015 IAAF Cross Country Championships, the second youngest woman to do so after Zola Budd.
She was found dead at her home in Iten, Elgeyo Marakwet County, on October 13th, 2021, with multiple stab wounds on her neck and abdomen.
