A 42-year-old Kenyan man has been arrested in connection with the fatal shooting of his 37-year-old wife at their home near Fort Cavazos in Killeen, Texas.
On Friday, February 21, 2025, at approximately 7:15 p.m., Killeen police officers responded to a welfare check at an apartment on Lakecrest Drive, where they discovered a woman suffering from multiple gunshot wounds.
Justice of the Peace Nicola James pronounced her dead at the scene at 9:29 p.m. She was later identified as 37-year-old Esther Gitau, an active-duty soldier stationed at Fort Cavazos.
Authorities arrested her husband, 42-year-old John Mwangi, at Fort Cavazos. Mwangi, who is also believed to be a U.S. soldier, was taken into custody and is currently being held at the Killeen City Jail.
Investigators believe the shooting was related to domestic violence.
Two children were found inside the home, unharmed and reportedly unaware of the incident.
Following an investigation, detectives from the Robbery-Homicide Unit obtained an arrest warrant for Mwangi. He was located at Fort Cavazos and taken into custody without incident.
A journalist in Kenya, Dave Oriku, reported the following details not released to the public by authorities:
“The couple, who had been happily married for over a decade and shared two children, had moved to the United States from Kenya to serve in the U.S. military.
Their relationship, however, began to unravel after an incident at a party they both attended. After a few drinks that evening, Esther reportedly gave in to a moment of infidelity, which severely unsettled Gitau. This act, often referred to colloquially as “Kugogewa” in their community, caused a rift between the two that seemed impossible to mend. Despite their efforts to reconcile, the tension between them lingered.
On the evening of February 21, 2025, after dinner and putting their children to bed, an argument escalated. At around 9:30 PM, in a fit of rage, Gitau shot Esther multiple times with his service weapon. He then slept beside her lifeless body, leaving it undiscovered until the following morning. The next day, Gitau went to work, leaving their two children alone with their mother’s deceased body. It wasn’t until later that morning that he was arrested at his workplace.”
The case remains under investigation.
© 2025 The Salty Soldier All rights reserved.
The content of this webpage may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written consent of TheSaltySoldier.com.
