Bungoma, Kenya – A self-confessed serial child killer in Kenya was beaten to death by villagers in the county of Bungoma after he escaped from a Nairobi police station.
Authorities described Masten Wanjala as a “bloodthirsty vampire” who allegedly killed at least ten children, in some cases by sucking blood from their veins and leaving them to die.
Authorities said that Wanjala’s victims, all aged between 12 and 13 years old, were “stupefied using a white substance in powder and liquid form, which [they] were either forced to drink or sprayed with before being executed.” The statement also claimed that Wanjala informed detectives that he “derived a lot of pleasure from killing his victims.”
Police say the murders took place over a 5-year period. Saying Wanjala posed as a soccer coach to lure the children in and then drugged his victims before killing them. He led police to crime scenes, reenacted them, made voice recordings, and showed investigators his scrapbook detailing the murders.
According to police, Wanjala confessed to the killings after he was arrested in connection with the deaths of a 12-year-old and 13-year-old boy in July.
Wanjala was supposed to appear in court on Wednesday in connection with the two boys’ murder, but authorities said after he did not show up for morning roll call it became apparent that he had escaped.
His escape made the front-page news around the country. On Friday, Wanjala was recognized by children in the town of Bungoma after he joined a soccer match with local kids. The children raised alarm and villagers found Wanjala at his childhood home, said Kenya police spokesman Brno Isohi Shioso.
Kenyan police said in a statement that they were attempting to track down Wanjala and bring him to justice, but, on Friday, “he was spotted by villagers in Bungoma, and beaten to death before our agents re-arrested him… The law of the jungle as applied by irate villagers prevailed.”
They acted so quickly once Wanjala had been identified that it was not possible for authorities to intervene, Shioso added.“Police can’t be everywhere,” he said.
Three police officers who were on duty when Wanjala escaped have been arrested and charged with aiding the escape of a suspect and negligence, according to the Star newspaper.
