October 15, (THEWILL) – Kenyan police have arrested Agnes Tirop’s husband after the athlete was found dead in her home on Wednesday. The 25-year-old distance runner, a two-time bronze medalist at the World Championships, appeared to have been stabbed in the neck with a knife.
Her husband, Emmanuel Rotich, who had gone missing, was apprehended on Thursday in Mombasa, Kenya, following an apparent attempt to flee the country.
“The suspect has been arrested today and is in custody at Changamwe police station in Coast Region,” Tom Makori, the sub-county police commander for Keito North, said. “I can confirm now that we have [our] main suspect in custody.”
Tirop finished fourth in the 5,000 metres at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. In Germany, she recently set a new women’s world record over ten kilometres on the road.
She won back-to-back World Championship bronze medals over the same distance in London in 2017 and Doha two years later and was also a former world champion in senior women’s cross country.
According to a Kenyan official, Rotich will face charges once the investigation is completed.
Following Tirop’s death, Athletics Kenya decided to postpone the first two rounds of the AK Cross Country Series.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
