“I Left Her Locked Inside”: Matara’s Chilling Message to Airbnb Owner Before Starlet Was Found Dead

John Matara has told the Milimani High Court that he fled an Airbnb apartment in South B, Nairobi, after an alleged confrontation with his girlfriend, 26-year-old Starlet Wahu, leaving her locked inside.

In a message sent to the apartment’s owner, Matara reportedly wrote: “I left the house in panic and I locked my girlfriend inside. She is not in good condition… The earlier you get there, the better.”

Wahu was later found near the apartment’s front door, which was locked from the outside.

On October 8, 2026, Matara took the witness stand before Justice Alexander Muteti as the murder trial continued, giving his account of the events leading to Wahu’s death on January 3, 2024.

Matara told the court that he met Wahu through an online platform in mid-2023. According to his testimony, they met twice at a hotel in Westlands before a financial disagreement arose over money he claimed she owed him. By January 2024, he put the disputed amount at KSh50,000.

He said he booked the South B apartment for KSh3,200 on the day of the incident. An argument allegedly broke out over payment, during which he claimed Wahu attacked him with a knife, stabbing him in the thighs and hands. He maintained that he fled without touching the weapon and left her alive.

However, prosecution witnesses presented evidence that raised questions about his account.

Government pathologist Dr Peter Ndegwa testified that Wahu died from severe blood loss caused by a stab wound to the thigh, alongside injuries associated with strangulation. Police officers and the apartment manager also told the court that the door was locked from outside when they arrived.

A cashier at South B Hospital testified that a man with bleeding injuries was brought in that night and identified himself as Fredrick Opondo.

Detective Alex Chokore further testified that Matara’s phone had been formatted before forensic analysis, while a government analyst said DNA samples collected at the scene matched both Wahu and Matara.

Matara denied killing Wahu, insisting he had been defenceless during the confrontation.

The defence has rested its case, with further proceedings scheduled for December 16, 2026.

Wahu was 26 when she died, just a short distance from the door that could have led her to safety.

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/19Y7ttdEjP/

MremboWaKisumo feedback-opera-news-app@opera.com