Tracy Nyariki. Photo/Courtesy
A promising young Kenyan nurse, 31‑year‑old Tracy Nyariki, was found brutally killed in the United States in December 2024, in a case that stunned both the Kenyan diaspora and her family back home.
Nyariki, who lived in Newark, Delaware, was reported missing after she failed to show up for work for several days, prompting her employer to alert authorities.
Nyariki had moved to the United States to pursue a career in nursing and to support her family in Kenya.
Relatives described her as dedicated to her work and a key source of support for her loved ones.
On the night of December 20, 2024, police conducted a welfare check at her apartment at the Village of Kent Apartments in Bear, Delaware, but found the residence empty and noted circumstances that raised concerns about her safety.
Authorities then issued a Gold Alert, a regional emergency notification used to locate missing adults under concerning circumstances.
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The following day, December 21, investigators identified 32‑year‑old Nobert Matara, a Kenyan national and acquaintance of Nyariki’s, as a person of interest.
Police in Aberdeen, Maryland, located Matara and his vehicle on South Philadelphia Boulevard.
Inside the car, officers discovered dismembered human remains that were later confirmed to be those of Tracy Nyariki. Matara was arrested at the scene and taken into custody.
Matara was charged with first-degree murder and was held in Maryland awaiting extradition to Delaware.
Prosecutors indicated that additional charges, including abuse of a corpse, could be filed as the investigation continued.
Authorities did not publicly provide a confirmed motive for the killing, only noting that the suspect and the victim were known to each other.
Family members in Kenya said that Matara and Nyariki had previously ended a relationship about two years earlier.
They expressed suspicion that jealousy may have been a factor, although police did not confirm this.
Tracy Nyariki. Photo/Courtesy
Relatives described Nyariki as a hardworking and caring individual who had been providing for her family, and said the sudden and violent loss left them devastated.
The case drew widespread attention among Kenyans both in the diaspora and at home.
Neighbours and colleagues in Delaware described the discovery as “horrific,” noting that such violence was unusual in the quiet residential area where Nyariki lived.
Kenyan media reported extensively on the case, highlighting the family’s grief and calls for justice.
Tracy Nyariki’s death remains under investigation, and authorities in the United States continued gathering evidence to ensure that those responsible were held accountable.
The tragedy left her family mourning the loss of a young professional who had been building a life abroad while supporting loved ones back home.