Regina Re's mother suffered multiple neck stab wounds, postmortem shows

The death of 86-year-old Dorita Macharia, mother of actress Regina Re, involved a series of violent injuries, with a postmortem examination revealing multiple deep wounds to her neck that caused fatal blood loss, alongside more than 20 other cuts across her body.

Government pathologist Dr Bernard Midia, who led the examination on Tuesday, said the injuries damaged blood vessels in the neck, resulting in severe external bleeding. The medical findings also established that Dorita had sustained wounds to her face, neck and arms, including a fracture on her left upper arm.

The examination was conducted at Lee Funeral Home, where detectives from Gigiri, three pathologists and lawyers representing the deceased and the accused assembled to witness the procedure.

Speaking after the exercise, Dr Midia explained that the injuries to the neck were responsible for the elderly woman's death.

"The injuries consisted of multiple stab wounds to the neck with injury to the blood vessels which led to severe external bleeding, and two stab wounds in the neck,” Midia said.

Beyond the fatal wounds, the pathologist identified numerous other injuries, with more than 20 cuts concentrated around the face and neck. The examination also established that her left upper arm had been fractured.

"There were also other sharp force injuries inside wounds, cut wounds to various parts of the body but mainly around the face and neck, there were more than 20 ... there were also other injuries including the left upper arm, there was a fracture on that arm,” Midia noted.

The nature of the wounds also raised questions about the object used during the attack, with the pathologist indicating that the injuries appeared to have been inflicted using a very sharp implement.

Although a knife could have been used, Dr Midia said the weapon could not be conclusively identified from the examination.

"I have said a sharp force so it was most likely blade; it could have been a knife but it was a sharp, sharp, sharp object,” Midia noted.

The medical examination is expected to provide investigators with important evidence as they work to establish the sequence of events before Dorita's death, identify those responsible and determine what triggered the incident.

The deceased's lawyer, Philip Murgor, welcomed the completion of the postmortem, saying the exercise had answered the question of what caused her death. He maintained that establishing the perpetrators and the motive was now a responsibility for detectives.

"We are glad this exercise has been concluded to the extent that we now know what the cause of her death was; the rest is entirely up to the DCI to establish the perpetrators and the motive,” Murgor stated.

Dorita was found dead inside her house at Loresho Ridge Estate on Friday night following an alleged altercation with her granddaughter, Thandie Malaika.

The postmortem came a day after Regina Re, Thandie Malaika, Jimmy Macharia, who is the actress's brother, and Immanuel Munyeki appeared before the Kibera Law Courts.

The four were remanded for 10 days to allow detectives more time to investigate the circumstances surrounding the 86-year-old's death and determine whether to bring charges against them.

Investigators are expected to use the medical findings, alongside other evidence gathered during the inquiry, to establish the circumstances that led to the killing.