Post-mortem reveals what killed Nyeri teacher found in coffin at home
A boat-like structure in which the coffin bearing the body of the late Joseph Gathogo was found inside a house at Ihururu in Nyeri County.
A Nyeri teacher whose body was found inside a nailed coffin at his rental house died from suffocation, a post-mortem has revealed.
Joseph Gathogo, a teacher at Muhoya Secondary School, had been missing for three weeks before he was found in his two-roomed semi-permanent house in Ihururu village. His body was inside a coffin placed on a boat-like structure in his living room.
Speaking to the Nation on Wednesday evening via phone, Tetu Sub-County Police Commander Philip Mwania said the autopsy conducted at Nyeri Provincial General Hospital Mortuary showed that the deceased died due to insufficient oxygen.
“Our investigations which have so far corresponded with the post-mortem indicate that he nailed himself inside the coffin and sealed any air from coming in or out,” he said.
While inside the coffin, Mr Mwania said the high school teacher covered himself with a red ‘Maasai leso’ and polythene paper. The teacher was also found naked.
The post-mortem further showed that the deceased did not ingest any poison nor have any bodily injuries.
Police, however, are still trying to establish what a reddish liquid substance found inside the coffin was. They had initially suspected it to be poison.
Nailed shut from inside
Also next to his body was a hammer and torch, which police say he used to light up the coffin while nailing the lid shut from the inside.
The coffin lay in a boat-like structure, which acted as a ‘grave’ and was made of concrete slabs covered with cardboard.
A paper written in a foreign language that was found inside Joseph Gathogo's house at Ihururu in Nyeri County.
Mr Gathogo had laid a thick black polythene paper inside the boat-like coffin and had also poured an unidentified chemical.
Near the ‘boat’ were flowers and paraphernalia including a black flag, cow horn and scrolls written in seemingly Egyptian calligraphy.
Mr Gathogo, 44, was a computer teacher. He was first reported missing on December 22 last year.
None of his neighbours realised he was missing until his family came looking for him on January 7, 2022.
Last Thursday, Mr William Gitau, the caretaker, realised that a foul smell was coming from the teacher’s house as he cleaned the compound. He alerted his employer who called the police.
Currently, the police are in possession of the scrolls and his laptop in a bid to unravel the death that has left his village bewildered.
According to the Tetu Police boss, a full written report of the post-mortem examination will be available on Thursday.
