A murder suspect who went on the run after the brutal killing of a Form Four student in Molo was arrested, following a sustained manhunt by detectives, police said.

The suspect, Walter Kipkoech, 23, was traced to a hideout in Lagwenda village, Kuresoi North, where detectives from Molo, alongside their counterparts from the Crime Research and Intelligence Bureau (CRIB) at the Regional Criminal Investigations Headquarters, Rift Valley, smoked him out of his hideout.

Kipkoech had reportedly fled immediately after the killing of 18-year-old Joy Wangui, a Form Four student at Molo Secondary School, whose lifeless body was discovered inside a house in Kiambaa area, Moto Location.

Her brother, who had briefly left home for a nearby shop, returned to a horrifying scene of his sister lying in a pool of blood in the kitchen, her head severed from the body.

The responding detectives found the murder weapon, an axe, a panga and two knives, all bearing bloodstains, near the body.

The deceased’s head was later discovered in the corridor, where a message had allegedly been scrawled on the wall using blood: “I love you Joy but never cheat, am sorry.”

Preliminary investigations established that Kipkoech was the deceased’s boyfriend, as detectives pursued a possible relationship dispute as the motive for the killing.

When the long arm of the law finally caught up with him, Kipkoech was wearing a blood-stained boxer, a white T-shirt bearing the deceased’s name at the hem, and black jeans with visible dry blood stains, police said on Tuesday.

He told police he acted in anger after the deceased tried to resist his moves. This was after he accused her of cheating on him.

He also appeared tired and remorseful then, police said.

The suspect was escorted to Molo Police Station, where he is undergoing processing pending arraignment, as detectives continue with investigations as they piece together the events leading to the horrific killing.

Police said the suspect will face murder charges.

The scene of the murder was processed by investigators and the body was removed and taken to Molo Sub-County Hospital mortuary pending a postmortem examination.