Kenya’s Agnes Tirop: Husband Goes Missing As Athlete Found Dead

Kenyan world record holder Agnes Tirop has been found dead.

Gatekeepers News report that 25-year-old Tirop was stabbed to death at her home in the western town of Iten, while her husband has been on the run.

Following this, a criminal investigation is now underway into her death, with police saying her husband has gone missing and, therefore, considered him a suspect.

The two-time World Athletics Championships bronze medallist finished fourth in the Olympic 5,000m final two months ago.

In September, Tirop set the world record for a women’s only 10km road race in Germany.

Although her father reported the athlete missing on Tuesday, crime scene investigators found Tirop dead at the house on Wednesday,

Head of police for the area, Tom Makori, said “When [police] got in the house, they found Tirop on the bed and there was a pool of blood on the floor.

“They saw she had been stabbed in the neck, which led us to believe it was a knife wound, and we believe that is what caused her death.

“Her husband is still at large, and preliminary investigations tell us her husband is a suspect because he cannot be found. Police are trying to find her husband so he can explain what happened to Tirop.”

Makori added that police believe that CCTV in the house may be able to help with their investigation.

Sources told BBC that she was also found dead with a stab wound to her stomach.

The country’s athletics body said in a statement, “Athletics Kenya are distraught to learn about the untimely death of World 10,000m bronze medallist Agnes Tirop.

“We are still working to unearth more details surrounding her demise. Kenya has lost a jewel who was one of the fastest-rising athletics giants on the international stage, thanks to her eye-catching performances on the track.”

Also in reaction to the athlete’s death, Kenya’s President Uhuru Kenyatta said “It is unsettling, utterly unfortunate and very sad that we’ve lost a young and promising athlete who, at a young age of 25 years, had brought our country so much glory.

“It is even more painful that Agnes, a Kenyan hero by all measures, painfully lost her young life through a criminal act perpetrated by selfish and cowardly people.

“I urge our law enforcement agencies to track down and apprehend the criminals responsible for the killing of Agnes so that they can face the full force of the law.”