Nyeri: A court in Nyeri has granted police an additional two days to conduct a mental evaluation on the prime suspect in a case, where Nicholas Julius Macharia is accused of defiling and killing seven-year-old Tamara Blessing.
According to Kenya News Agency, state prosecutor Dismas Lang'at requested the extension before Senior Principal Magistrate Faith Munyi to allow Investigating Officers (IOs) to obtain a mental health evaluation report on Macharia. Lang'at informed the court that a cautionary statement had been recorded with the suspect.
The prosecutor also revealed that Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) footage from a shop near the suspect's house in Kiawara slums had been sent to the Digital Forensic department for further analysis. Lang'at emphasized the need for a court order to conduct Macharia's mental assessment and requested a two-day extension for this purpose.
Macharia first appeared at the Nyeri Law Courts on May 27, with Magistrate Faith Munyi ordering a 14-day hold to allow police to complete their investigations into Tamara's murder. Her body was discovered buried in Macharia's house in Kiawara slums on May 26.
In granting the prosecution's request, Magistrate Munyi noted the progress of the investigation and instructed that Macharia, who appeared virtually, be assessed at the Nyeri County Referral Hospital for his mental status. The court granted the Investigations Officer two additional days to finalize their inquiries, with Macharia to be escorted for the evaluation.
The case will return to court for further directions on Thursday, June 12.