John Nderitu Mureithi, the prime suspect in the brutal killing of 25-year-old Joy Kanini Gathu, was cornered and arrested along the Nanyuki–Isiolo Road in Timau, Meru County.

Investigators tracking his movements revealed that Mureithi was actively attempting to flee the country toward Uganda when police units moved in.

Upon his arrest, detectives recovered four mobile phones from his possession, including the deceased woman’s handset, which has now been secured as a cornerstone piece of forensic evidence.

The breakthrough capture has unmasked the horrific details of a crime that began more than a month ago.

During intense police interrogation, detectives established that on June 9, 2026, a violent confrontation erupted between Mureithi and Gathu inside his house in Nyeri’s Ngangarithi Estate.

The dispute turned fatal, resulting in the young woman’s death.

In a calculated and grisly effort to evade justice, Mureithi allegedly dismembered Gathu’s body and scattered her remains across several undisclosed locations to frustrate police tracking and conceal any trace of the homicide.

The suspect, who is currently being held at the Kiganjo Police Station, faces a battery of severe criminal charges.

The Directorate of Criminal Investigations has confirmed that Mureithi will be presented before a court tomorrow, Monday, July 13, 2026.

Homicide detectives intend to petition the magistrate for extended custodial orders, a procedural move that will keep the suspect detained while forensic teams and search recovery units finalize their documentation of the scattered remains and complete the comprehensive murder investigation.