Exactly one year since a Kenyan mother and her two daughters were murdered in their Powder Springs, Ga. home, police have openly admitted that no progress has been made in their investigations. This development comes even as details began to emerge that the detective investigating the murders has been arrested and charged with perjury over a separate matter.

And in a related development, the family of the late Jane Kuria is now appealing for the intervention of the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) to help unravel the mystery. Speaking to the press shortly after a recent memorial service, Family spokesman Mr Waira Kamau said that the slow progress or lack thereof was very frustrating. “This last year has no doubt been the most difficult for us as a family. I also know that the Kenyan Community here has stood with us all through, asking the same Questions we have been asking”, he said. Mr Kamau added that he was confident that one day, the culprits will be brought to book.

In response to a question by this reporter, who sought to know whether there was disillusionment and a general feeling within the Kenyan community that the police were not giving the matter the seriousness it deserves, Mr Kamau said: “We have no reason to doubt the competence and credibility of the Powder Springs or Cobb County Police Departments in dealing with this matter, however, we do feel that if they could move a notch higher and enlist the help of FBI sleuths, this would hasten the pace of these investigations”. Pauline Thande, a sister in law to Jane Kuria, said that the year has been a long one while Lucy Wanjiku, another sister in law, appealed to anyone with any information to step forward. “All we need are answers”, she said as tears freely rolled down her cheeks.

The low keyed but somber memorial service was held at St. Vincent De Paul Catholic Church in Dallas Ga. It was conducted by Father Adrian Pleus who described the late Jane Kuria as “easy to love, a caregiver and someone with deep belief in her faith”. It was attended by family members, friends and relatives. Conspicuously present was Peter Thande, the eleven year old boy who, together with his cousin Jeremy Kuria, was seriously injured in the attack.

But even as the family was expressing its frustration, it emerged that the lead detective who has been issuing Press Statements to this Newspaper - sometimes assuring the readers that significant progress is being made in the matter - has been relieved of his duties. Det. William Charles Hewell was charged with violating the oath of office after anomalies were detected in the way he handled an investigation. According to Powder Springs spokeswoman, Detective Kelly Gobley, the felony charges stem from the manner in which the detective handled the investigation of an aggravated assault and home invasion case against one Shawn Mosley in February of 2007. In a press statement, Powder Springs police Chief Rick Richardson confirmed that detective Hewell had been served with termination papers.

Two Kenyans who spoke to KEN on condition of anonymity expressed concern that the detective’s departure could adversely affect the pace of the investigations. But in a quick rejoinder, the head of Powder Springs Criminal Investigations Department (CID), Leutenant Mat Boyd, sought to assure the public that Hewell’s departure would not affect the Kenyan triple murder investigations. He however appealed to anyone with any leads to contact him in confidence on phone numbers 770-943-1616 and 770 499 3945. Anonymous callers may also dial 678-567-2490 or (1888) 322-8884.

The badly battered remains of Jane Kuria, 45, Isabella Kuria, 19, and Annabel Kuria, 16 were discovered in their house on the morning of August 1^st last year. Following the shocking attack, Kenyans - both in United States and Kenya - have been waiting with bated breath for information on the apprehension of the perpetrators of the heinous crime. One year later, the waiting continues.

(BMJ Muriithi is an Atlanta based Photojournalist and a student - Communications Major - at Atlanta Metro College. He can be reached via email at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it )