A man suspected of brutally murdering his girlfriend and leaving her body at Boston’s Logan Airport before fleeing to Africa in November has been arrested in Kenya, law enforcement officials say.
Kevin Kangethe, 41, was taken into custody Monday night by Kenyan authorities in partnership with Massachusetts State Police (MSP), the Suffolk District Attorney, and the U.S. State Department.
The suspect in the homicide of Margaret Mbitu was arrested last night in Kenya by police there. We are extremely grateful to @StateDeptDSS, @INTERPOL_HQ and Kenyan authorities for their tireless assistance in this case. The extradition process has begun. https://t.co/EHGR9hK53M
— Mass State Police (@MassStatePolice) January 30, 2024
MSP said in a statement that Kangethe was wanted for “the homicide of Margaret Mbitu on or around Nov. 1, 2023.”
The suspect escaped to Kenya shortly after allegedly killing the 31-year-old Whitman resident, with whom he had been in a relationship, MSP detectives say.
Mbitu’s body was discovered in her suspected killer’s parked car at a Logan International Airport parking garage after being reported missing by her family.
Investigators said they found an “unresponsive individual,” later identified as Mbitu, in the front passenger seat, reported NBC Boston.
MSP noted a large amount of blood inside the SUV and stated the victim showed “obvious signs of death,” before officially being declared deceased at 7:23 p.m. by emergency responders, NBC Boston reported.
“The subsequent investigation identified Kangethe, who lived in Lowell, as Ms. Mbitu’s assailant and determined that he had boarded a flight to Kenya,” MSP said.
Kenyan police then tracked Kangethe’s whereabouts while U.S. authorities coordinated his apprehension, leading to the arrest being made at a Nairobi nightclub nearly three months later.
Kangethe is expected to appear at a preliminary court hearing in Kenya within the next week, and will later be extradited back to Boston for prosecution.
Mbitu’s family released a joyful statement in response to the news, thanking both U.S. and Kenyan officials for the arrest.
We are overjoyed by the news of the capture of Maggie’s murder suspect. We have confirmed with law enforcement and the DA of the arrest of Mr. Kangethe in Kenya and are waiting on the next step of extradition and eventual prosecution. We want to thank our friends, law enforcement here in the US and in Kenya and the community at large for the efforts in the capture of Mr. Kangethe. We are confident that the truth will prevail and that justice for Maggie will be achieved.
Suffolk District Attorney Kevin Hayden said following the arrest:
I’m extremely grateful to the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, the FBI, Kenyan law enforcement agencies, the Kenyan government and the Massachusetts State Police for bringing the person accused of Margaret Mbitu’s brutal murder into custody.
“We had been keeping tabs on him while the international coordination of the arrest warrant and apprehension plan was being completed,” added Massachusetts State Police spokesperson David Procopio.
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