Pathologists dont talk to dead people, but they do answer some of their questions. As a forensic pathologist dig to unravel Ms Mildred Odira cause of death. A post-mortem on the body of Mildred Akinyi Odira showed that she was hit by a blunt object on the head and other parts of her face before being dumped on the road.
Pathologists examining the body of the 32-year-old said the injuries she sustained on the forehead, the cheeks and the neck were inflicted on her while she was seated upright.
While revealing the details of the autopsy report, Suba North MP Millie Odhiambo said Ms Odira had several injuries on her torso.
“The cause of death was the injury on the forehead, it looks like she was hit by a hammer and after she was dead then placed on the road for vehicles to run over her,” Ms Odhiambo said.
The autopsy also showed that the injuries on her limbs occurred after “she was ran over by a car and not knocked down,” Ms Odhiambo said.
To establish this, human anatomists observe the changes of colour in the shape and position of the organs. The pooling of blood on the person’s body — a phenomenon called lividity — also provides a clue on the person’s posture before death.
This is caused by the fact that when the heart stops beating, blood moves with gravity to the lowermost part of the body, depending on its position.
Samples extracted from Ms Odira’s nails and private parts were taken for analysis to ascertain if she was raped.
The results of the autopsy were released as Ms Odira’s brother said he had received threats from unknown people.
Ms Mildred Odira body discovered
An incident report at the Kasarani Police Station said the body was found on the side of a road, near the GSU footbridge at Allsopps.
The family said they reported the matter to the police but their report was shrugged off, since the law stipulates that a person can only be declared missing after 48 hours. Come Thursday, the family reported her missing at the Kasarani and Buruburu police stations.
The matter was handed to investigators, who interviewed the taxi driver who had picked up Ms Odira. Mr Ochieng’ told the police that he had, indeed, taken Ms Odira to Uhai Neema Hospital in Ruaraka, waited for her for an hour and 20 minutes, and then left.
Detectives demanded CCTV footage from the hospital when the hospital said it had not received a patient called Mildred Odira. The CCTV footage from exterior cameras showed the taxi, a black Mazda Carol, arrive at 4.33am, make a U-turn in the hospital compound and leave without dropping off anyone.
The footage clearly shows the driver leaving the hospital patting his chest, with a client believed to be Ms Odira in the back seat. The car’s full lights were on. Notably, the guards at the hospital recorded that the car left the compound at 5.57am.
The contradictions in the driver’s statement and the fact that they did not tally with the investigators’ findings led to his arrest on Saturday. His vehicle was also towed to the Kasarani Police Station.
Mr Ochieng was taken to the Milimani Law Courts, but the investigators were allowed to hold him until February 14 to complete investigations into the incident that has sent shock waves across the country.