Kevin Kang'ethe stabbed his girlfriend ten times in the face and neck and left the body at the airport; court declared

Kang'ethe appeared before the court for a hearing after being extradited to the United States from Kenya, where he had fled to go into hiding.

Prosecutors told the court that Mbitu's body was found in an SUV at Boston Logan International Airport on October 31, 2023, during a search for a missing person.

Kang'ethe is said to have taken a taxi from his home in Lolwell to Mbitu's place of work and picked her up as she left the office. He then drove Mbitu to her home in her car, which was reportedly registered in his name.

On the way home, Kang'ethe attacked Mbitu with a knife and stabbed her ten times in the face and neck.

Prosecutors also told the court that Kang'ethe even answered two phone calls from family members and colleagues asking about her whereabouts, telling them that she had suffered an injury and was unable to answer the phone.

He later disposed of the phone in a dumpster in Chelsea, which was used by detectives to track him down and record surveillance video.

Thirty hours later, Mbitu's body was found face down in the car's reclined front seat. Prosecutors said the body had been covered with objects to avoid arousing suspicion.

In court, Mbitu's family expressed their confidence that justice would finally be done, but at the same time described their pain over the loss of their loved one.

Mbitu's cousin Mary Kinyariro, who spoke on behalf of the victim's sister, said they would not tire until the suspect was found guilty.

“It has been a long road. Today gives us hope and represents a step forward toward justice,” she said, according to NBC Boston.

“We will keep fighting until this coward is locked up and never sees the light of day again or harms another family and takes away their loved ones.”

The family remembered not only their loss, but also who Mbitu was in life.

Another cousin, Joel Muhoro, remembered Mbitu as a kind and generous woman who shared her joy wherever she went.

“We think of her dreams of being an entrepreneur, of training to be a nurse and of caring for others, and we remember the void she left in our lives,” he said.

Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Hayden said the emergence of the lawsuit is a glimmer of hope for justice.

“She was deeply loved, she was a caregiver, a nurse who was loved by every patient she cared for, a beautiful soul and a wonderful daughter and a loving sister,” Hayden said.

The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) has stated that Kang'ethe pleaded not guilty to the murder charge and was also denied bail.

The case is scheduled to be mentioned on November 5.