A suspected serial killer linked to the murder of four school girls and who had kept residents of Gem living in fear has been lynched. The suspect, identified as Charles Onyango, also known as 'Kwa', has been on the run for several weeks after he was captured on CCTV footage walking with two girls. One of the girls was later found murdered in cold blood. Yesterday, police officers who had been trailing the suspect nabbed him at Kibos in Kisumu and transferred him to Yala Police station. However, residents baying for his blood stormed the police station, grabbed him from the officers, and lynched him. According to police sources, while in custody, the suspect confessed to the murders and claimed that whenever he saw a girl or a woman walking alone or in a secluded place, he would be consumed with the urge to kill them. Gem subcounty police commander Charles Wafula, who confirmed the death, said the suspect, who was in their custody, was killed by an angry mob when they left the station for the recovery of exhibits that would assist in the case. Wafula said that they found roads in Yala town barricaded by big stones, stopping their movement. "The rowdy and angry mob pulled him out of the police vehicle and started beating him up, before burning him beyond recognition," he said. The police subcounty commander said his remains were then thrown in the River Yala by the crowd, which had overwhelmed them. "Our efforts to protect him proved futile.
We were overwhelmed by the crowd.
They burned him beyond recognition and then threw his remains in River Yala.
They said they did not want the family to hold any funeral rites for the suspect," said Wafula. He noted that while the police were trying to protect the serial killer, the angry mob almost burned the DCI vehicle. Wafula said the relatives, who also feared for their lives, also deserted their homes and moved to other unknown places. "Community members who were angered by the killings torched the home and burnt it, forcing the family members to flee.
