CCTV and guards place John Matara at Starlet Wahu crime scene
CCTV evidence on murder of Starlet Wahu being played at the Milimani Law Courts in Nairobi on Wednesday. Photo/ODPP
CCTV footage and testimony from two security guards on Wednesday placed John Matara Ong’oa at the scene where socialite Starlet Wahu was found murdered on 3 January 2024 at Papino Apartments in South B, Nairobi.
The guards told the High Court in Milimani that they saw a man matching Matara’s description leaving the apartments with what appeared to be bloodstains on his legs.
Their account was supported by CCTV recordings showing the man’s movements inside the building that night.
Security guard Mr Joseph Ndungi testified that he saw a suspicious man wearing a blue T-shirt, khaki trousers and a white towel leave Papino Apartments shortly after 10:00 p.m.
Mr Ndungi said the man’s legs appeared stained with blood, and in court he confirmed it was the accused.
He said he alerted fellow guard Mr George Gitau, and together they reviewed CCTV footage before tracing a blood trail to door number Y32 on the fourth floor.
With the help of the apartment owner, they entered the unit and discovered the body of a naked woman with injuries to the neck.
Blood was visible from the bedroom to the sitting room.
Mr Gitau corroborated Mr Ndungi’s account, adding that he did not see the man exit the building as he was checking water tanks at the time.
Earlier, Clinical Officer Mr Isaiah Omondi Olang of South B Hospital told the court that he treated Matara on the same night for two stab wounds, one on the right thigh and another on the right hand.
He said the accused, who appeared intoxicated, stayed at the hospital for less than two hours before being referred to Mbagathi Hospital.
Police Constable Ms Elizabeth Njuguna, a forensic video analyst, testified that she examined nine CCTV clips from Papino Apartments provided by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations.
The footage showed a man and woman entering the building that evening, and later the same man leaving alone with what looked like a bloodstain on his leg.
Ms Njuguna said the videos played in sequence with no sign of tampering and produced 23 still images in court.
However, she told the court she could not positively identify the man because his face was unclear in the footage.
Three more witnesses are expected to testify today (Thursday).
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