A Kenyan lady working as a banking executive in the United Kingdom was recently struck to death by a mysterious killer at her riverside apartment in London.
The late Marianne Kilonzi, was the vice-president of trade and working capital sales at Citibank.
According to The Telegraph, Marianne’s badly beaten body was discovered last weekend at her home in Woolwich, south-east London.
Detectives are searching for a suspect who is feared to have fled the country.
A post-mortem examination discovered that Ms Kilonzi died from a blunt force trauma injury to the head.
Her neighbours at the Royal Arsenal Riverside development admit having heard ‘blood-curdling screams earlier that day.
“The poor woman was inside the flat with the door bolted. The police got in somehow, but it was too late,” a 47-year-old female resident stated.
It is not known how the killer managed to get into Marianne’s house, though there is the possibility that whoever that was, must have been an acquittance to the deceased.
Michael Buckingham, another neighbour, said detectives had told him they were investigating reports of a ‘noisy disturbance,’ four days before the body was found, in the early hours of Jan 13.
‘Police know who they’re after’
“The police came around and asked me some questions,” the 82-year-old retired company director said.
“An officer asked me if I had heard anything coming from her flat between 3am and 4am on Monday.
“It appears that there had been a noisy disturbance at that time. Sadly, I couldn’t help them because I didn’t hear anything.”
Mr Buckingham added: “The police know who they’re after. They’re not looking for anyone else. It’s just a case of finding him.”
A spokesman for the Metropolitan Police confirmed that “one line of inquiry” was that the suspect had fled the country.
Ms Kilonzi is an alumnus of the Kenyatta University in Nairobi.
She previously worked for Citibank Kenya in 2006 before becoming vice-president for treasury and trade solutions there.
Later she was transferred to Britain in June 2023, where she ran a company fundraiser for Cancer Research UK.
‘We are deeply saddened’
A spokesman for the company said: “We are deeply saddened by the tragic loss of our colleague. Our thoughts are with Marianne’s family and friends during this difficult time.”
Detective Chief Inspector Suzanne Soren said: ‘This is a tragic crime and our thoughts at this incredibly difficult time are with Marianne’s loved ones and colleagues.
“We are in contact with her family, who are being supported by specialist colleagues.
“I know this is a concerning time for the wider community and want to reassure the public that while we are in the early stages of this investigation, we believe the suspect was known to Marianne and there is no wider risk to the public.”