A Kenyan national was arrested for his alleged involvement in a murder-for-hire scheme in the US, according to statements made in court on Tuesday, December 5.
Leonard Thuo Mwithiga, 52, was arrested on Monday, December 4, two days after a confidential informant went and reported that the suspect had asked for his help to find a hitman to kill one of his family members, according to court documents.
Local authorities said that Mwithiga had reportedly been requesting help from another person to connect him with a hitman, asking multiple times between September 9 and December 1.
Court documents shared details of several conversations in which Mwithiga asked for help finding someone who could “hit” the family member, “put that woman down,” and “finish her.”
On December 1, he allegedly told the informant it was OK if the woman was injected with something to make her sick, “like a cancer,” court documents stated.
An undercover state trooper posed as the “hitman,” who was supposed to take the victim on a date and drug her, court documents state.
Mwithiga said he wanted the death to happen between January 28, 2024, and February 3, 2024, when he would be in Kenya and would not be a suspect, according to court records.
Mwithiga was arrested and charged with criminal attempt/intimidation of a witness, conspiracy to commit murder, and criminal attempt, murder with special circumstances.
While appearing in court on Tuesday, it was revealed that Mwithinga was going through divorce proceedings and had allegedly come from Kenya to Connecticut to get his two children.
“This man had a plan to kill his wife,” a state prosecutor said in court on Tuesday. “I think he poses a serious threat not only to his wife but also his children.”
His wife and children allegedly left Kenya because he was abusive, according to court documents.
According to court documents, Mwithiga allegedly said that he wanted to “fight evil with evil,” and he’d planned to pay Sh613,400 ($4,000) in exchange for someone killing her.
A judge upheld his $5 million bond. If Mwithiga manages to post bond, he’ll have to turn in his passport, wear GPS monitoring, and be under house arrest. There is also a protective order in place.
The judge referred to Mwithiga as “an extreme flight risk.”
Mwithiga’s next court date is scheduled for January 26.
