Warrant: Man flew to Kenya hours before girlfriend found stabbed to death in car at Logan Airport
A man suspected of murdering his girlfriend boarded a flight to Kenya just hours before her mutilated body was found in a car at a parking garage at Boston’s Logan International Airport, law enforcement officials said.
Troopers responding to a report of a dead woman in a car at the airport’s Central Parking garage around 6:30 p.m. Wednesday identified the victim as 31-year-old Margaret Mbitu, who had been reported missing by her family on Monday, according to Massachusetts State Police.
Whitman police said that Mbitu was last seen leaving work in Halifax around 11 p.m. on Monday. An investigation into her whereabouts led detectives to her boyfriend, 40-year-old Kevin Kangethe, a state police trooper said in a copy of a warrant that was issued for his arrest.
Kangethe’s white 2013 Toyota Venza was spotted on Halloween in Lowell and Chelsea, and Mbitu’s cell phone location was consistent with the vehicle’s location, state police said.
Investigators tracked Mbitu’s cell phone signal to Central Parking at the airport and discovered Mbitu unresponsive in the front passenger seat of Kangethe’s Toyota, the warrant stated.
“They observed a large amount of blood inside the vehicle. The female, later identified as Mbitu, was showing signs of obvious signs of death,” state police wrote in the warrant. “Boston EMS determined her deceased at 19:23 hours (7:23 p.m. Wednesday).”
Mbitu was said to be found with large slash wounds to her face and neck, as well as a puncture wound to her side.
“Based on the information gathered through the investigation, there is probable cause to believe that Kevin Kangethe stabbed and slashed, and committed the crime of murder,” state police wrote.
Investigators later determined that Kangethe had obtained tickets for Kenya Africa during the early morning hours of Halloween shortly after his Toyota was seen on surveillance video entering Central Parking.
“Kangethe left the Central Parking garage moments after his vehicle was captured on video surveillance,” state police wrote. “Kangethe was then observed entering the Logan Airport terminal and checked into a flight.”
Mbitu’s heartbroken mother told Boston 25 News that she learned of her daughter’s death in the overnight hours.
“The entire family, everybody’s down,” her mother says. “I’m not myself right now. This is heartbreaking.”
Mbitu’s mother says that she believes the suspected killer is someone her daughter was dating, but says her daughter was trying to break things off with him.
Rose Mbitu told Boston 25 News that her daughter was stabbed. She says detectives processed her daughter’s room in the family’s Whitman home for possible evidence in the case.
Mbitu worked for the Brockton-based nonprofit BAMSI. A company spokesperson described her as an “amazing” employee.
“She was warm, caring, and loved by everyone she worked with, both staff and the people she cared for in our group homes,” wrote a spokesperson for BAMSI. “As an agency, we are mourning over the loss of such an amazing young woman.”
An investigation remains ongoing.
Kevin Kangethe Arrest Warrant by Frank James on Scribd
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