A man accused of killing his girlfriend and leaving her body at Boston’s airport has been extradited to the US

Kevin Kangethe, a 42-year-old man accused of murdering his girlfriend in Boston and fleeing to Kenya, has been extradited back to the United States. This development marks the latest chapter in a complex international case involving his arrest at a Nairobi nightclub and a subsequent jailbreak.

Kangethe stands accused of killing Margaret “Maggie” Mbitu, a nurse whose body was discovered in a parked car at Boston’s Logan International Airport last November. The discovery came two days after Mbitu was reported missing. Authorities claim Kangethe boarded a flight immediately after the murder and left the country.

For months, Kangethe managed to evade capture after reaching Kenya. In January, he was located at a nightclub in Nairobi and arrested. However, just days later, he escaped from jail and evaded authorities for a week before being recaptured in early February.

Kenya and the United States have an extradition treaty, which facilitated Kangethe’s return. He was extradited on Sunday and is now set to face murder charges at Suffolk Superior Court on Tuesday, according to Renson Ingonga, Kenya’s director of public prosecutions.

“I reaffirm my commitment to supporting the United States and its prosecution team as they advance with this case,” Ingonga said in a statement.

Kangethe left for Kenya the day before Mbitu’s body was found. Mbitu, 31, resided in Whitman, a suburb of Boston, and was the youngest in a family of health care professionals. Her two older sisters and mother are all nurses.

Her disappearance was reported in late October when she missed work, an unusual occurrence for her. Her family alerted the police and contacted local hospitals to search for her. Authorities quickly identified Kangethe as a suspect, according to a criminal complaint filed by state police.

Using surveillance footage, investigators traced Kangethe’s Toyota SUV to Logan Airport’s parking garage, where Mbitu’s bloodied body was discovered. The body showed signs of severe injuries, including slash wounds to her face and neck.

The day before Mbitu’s body was found, Kangethe was seen boarding a flight from Boston to Kenya. Surveillance footage captured him leaving the parking garage and entering the airport terminal. Investigators found that he had purchased a plane ticket the morning prior.

Mbitu’s sister expressed her anguish in an interview “Why her?” she questioned. “Nobody’s daughter deserves this, but why my sister? Why Maggie?” She added, “I’m so angry; I’m still trying to process everything. At 31, we’re not supposed to be planning her funeral. We should be celebrating milestones like birthdays, weddings, and travels.”

Kangethe was initially apprehended at a Nairobi nightclub thanks to a tip from a concerned citizen. After his arrest, he managed to escape from jail a week later. A man posing as his lawyer visited him at the police station, during which Kangethe was left alone with him and subsequently escaped.

He was re-arrested a week later at a relative’s house in a Nairobi suburb, following another tip-off. Kevin Hayden, the District Attorney for Suffolk County, expressed his gratitude to the US State Department, the FBI, the state police, and Kenyan authorities for their role in the case.

“Their relentless efforts have given Margaret’s family and friends a chance to see justice served for this horrific crime,” Hayden said in a statement in February.

As of now, investigators have not disclosed a motive for the killing.