Boda boda rider murdered in South B apartment while delivering iPhone 17 Pro Max

A 30-year-old father of three, Antony Otieno, was found brutally murdered at Meridian Apartments in South B, Nairobi, in what police suspect was a setup linked to a phone delivery gone wrong.

The victim was discovered under the bed in house no. 72 on the fifth floor, tied at both the head and legs, with a scarf stuffed in his mouth.

It was supposed to be a simple delivery, a brand-new iPhone 17 Pro Max, ordered online. It was to be handed over in person, but for Antony, a delivery rider, it turned into a deadly assignment.

On the morning of the incident, Antony left a shop in town around 10:30a.m., heading to Meridian Apartments in South B.

The order had been placed via WhatsApp by a man claiming to be in Eldoret, using the number 0108577041. He said his brother, Hillary, would collect the phone at the apartment, a booked temporary stay unit.

The delivery was to be confirmed before payment. It was the last time Antony was heard from.

Hours later, his lifeless body was discovered under the bed in house no. 14, fourth floor. His hands and legs were bound with rope, a leso wrapped tightly around his mouth. Blood pooled beneath him, the result of blunt force trauma to the head, according to the autopsy.

Detectives recovered a knife, a metal rod believed to be the murder weapon, and the very phone Antony had been delivering. Outside, his motorcycle, registration KMFH 161S, remained parked.

The apartment had been paid for just hours earlier by two unknown men, Ksh.2,500 in cash. Charity Muthoni Michoki, the AirBnb host, says she received a message around 9:30a.m. that the bill would be cleared later that evening. But when she went to check on the room, one of the men insisted she wait.

What she found was horrifying, blood splattered across the floor, the door locked. With the help of neighbors, she forced entry into the bedroom and discovered the body.

Police have since forwarded both phone numbers, 0108577041 and 0783041879, to Safaricom for identity tracing. Investigators believe the suspects orchestrated the murder under the guise of a high-value transaction.

As Antony’s family mourns the loss of a husband, a father, and a hardworking man, authorities are urging anyone with information to come forward. The hunt for the killers is on.