An accused serial killer, known as “the Vampire” and suspected of murdering 42 women, has escaped from custody along with 12 other detainees, Kenyan officials reported on Tuesday, September 20.
Mohamed Amin, head of the Directorate of Criminal Investigations, revealed that Collins Jumaisi Khalusha from Kenya and other suspects from Eritrea were aided in their escape from Nairobi’s Gigiri police station by eight officers, including the station commanders.
The escapees reportedly cut through a wire mesh in their cells and scaled a perimeter wall, with authorities discovering the breakout only when they went to serve breakfast. During a subsequent search of Khalusha’s home, police found several cell phones and a machete.
“Our preliminary investigation suggests that the escape was facilitated by insiders, given that officers were properly deployed to guard the station,” Amin said. “This was a high-value suspect facing serious charges,” he added, describing Khalusha, 33, as “a vampire, a psychopath.”
The escape occurred after officials had ordered Khalusha to remain in police custody for an additional week while detectives continued their investigation into the 42 homicides linked to him. Khalusha was arrested in July following the discovery of 10 mutilated bodies in a quarry in Nairobi’s Kware neighborhood.
Authorities claim Khalusha confessed to killing not only the 10 women but 32 others over two years, including his missing wife. Initially, Amin described Khalusha as a “psychopathic serial killer who has no respect for human life.”
Khalusha’s lawyer, John Maina Ndegwa, has maintained his client’s innocence, claiming that the confession was made under torture. Ndegwa expressed confusion over the prison break, stating, “I’m also confused by the news.”
The eight officers accused of assisting in the escape are now facing disciplinary action, according to Acting Police Inspector General Gilbert Masengeli.
