A bar brawl ignited by a tussle over a tumbler could have led to two deaths in Chemelil, Kisumu County.
What started out as an evening of merry-making on March 27 took a nasty turn when five revellers at a pub in Kopere, Muhoroni sub-county, fought over the use of a drinking glass.
Muhoroni sub-county Police Commander David Miniu said the confrontation between Charles Onyango, Godfredy Odhier, both now deceased, Felly and Daddy (not their real names) quickly escalated, with the three friends ganging up against Onyango.
“The four exited the pub and continued with their fight outside late in the night. The following morning however, Onyango had reportedly gone missing,” he said.
A missing person’s report was filed at the Kopere Police Post two days later while villagers and police immediately started searching for the 34-year-old.
The three friends, who were the prime suspects in the disappearance, were arrested by locals and presented to Kopere police.
Mr Miniu said the three were later released on a free bond after a 24-hour unsuccessful search for Onyango.
“They could not be charged with assault or murder, because the missing person had not been found nor his dead body recovered,” he said.
But members of the public who were convinced that the three had a hand in Onyango’s disappearance tortured the suspects releasing them on March 30.
Yesterday, 10 days after Onyango went missing, his lifeless body was discovered by a woman and her son next to their farm on the Kisumu-Nandi border.
“The two were tilling their land in Songhor, a village on the border with Nandi County when a foul smell hit them, only to find the body on the banks of River Nyando, several kilometres from the pub where he had disappeared,” said Mr Tom Odhiambo, a resident.
The body was quickly identified by locals as that of Onyango. Police took it to the Ahero Sub-County Hospital mortuary.
Angry residents then started searching for the three suspects. While two had gone into hiding, Odhier was located at his home and roughed up by youths as they dragged him towards Onyango’s home.
“The 45-year-old was lynched by the public a few metres from the home of (Onyango),” Mr Miniu said.
He said none of the people who took part in the second killing had been arrested. BY DAILY NATION