A judge in Kenya has acquitted four men accused of killing British wildlife filmmaker Joan Root, ruling that the investigation into her death was "shoddy."
The 69-year-old documentarian and naturalist was shot in her bed January 2006 by two intruders who broke into her house in Kenya's Rift Valley. The attackers shattered Root's bedroom window and shot her at point blank range with AK-47s, according to police.
Judge Nicholas Njagi ordered the four accused released on Friday after more than a year in custody. Their charges included robbery with violence leading to death.
"I acquit the accused," Njagi said. "The investigation was shoddy … None of the witnesses positively identified the accused as being on the scene during the incident."
David Chege, one of the accused, said: "We have suffered in remand for a sin committed by others." He was charged along with Joseph Ndung'u, Philip Mutuku and Allan Githenji.
Police have not been able to establish a motive for the killing.
Filmmaker interacted with wildlife
Root was the daughter of Edmund Thorpe, a British coffee farmer and photo safari guide who moved to Kenya in 1929.
She became a highly regarded conservationist and made a series of groundbreaking films from the 1960s to the 1980s about African wildlife with her husband Alan, including Balloon Safari, Mysterious Castle of Clay, Year of the Wildebeest and Two in the Bush.
The couple's films were often made for National Geographic. The Roots divorced in 1981 but Joan opted to stay on their compound, 90 kilometres west of Nairobi.
She was also known for her efforts to preserve Lake Naivasha, the Rift Valley's only freshwater lake. A battle has emerged between foreign investors and the local population over access to resources. Root is reported to have upset both locals and large companies growing flowers nearby over her efforts to preserve fish stocks and to conserve the lake water.
Three other Europeans have been killed in violent robberies in the Rift Valley since September 2004.
Working Title Films of England announced in May that it was making a biopic of Root, with actor Julia Roberts set to play the title role and be co-producer. Filming is set to begin next year.
Related
More Film Headlines »
- Updated Epcot Center film has Martin Short as voice of Canada
- Disney is finally updating the film that presents the face of Canada at Epcot Center in Florida, and has chosen Canadian comedian Martin Short to tell the story.
- Timberlake goes for laughs in Mike Myers movie
- U.S. star Justin Timberlake has signed on to play a hockey player Mike Myers' new comedy, The Love Guru.
- Canadian actor Keith Knight dies at 51
- Keith Knight, a Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., native who had a 30-year career on stage, film and television, has died. He was 51.
- Lohan gets 1 day in jail on drug, booze and driving charges
- California officials filed seven misdemeanor counts against actress Lindsay Lohan on Thursday, in relation to the tabloid fixture's two drunk-driving arrests.
- Warner Bros. teams up with Bollywood filmmakers
- Warner Bros. has announced it will test out the waters in Bollywood for an Indian-made, Hollywood-backed action comedy to be filmed in China.
More Arts Headlines »
- Updated Epcot Center film has Martin Short as voice of Canada
- Disney is finally updating the film that presents the face of Canada at Epcot Center in Florida, and has chosen Canadian comedian Martin Short to tell the story.
- Timberlake goes for laughs in Mike Myers movie
- U.S. star Justin Timberlake has signed on to play a hockey player Mike Myers' new comedy, The Love Guru.
- Lohan gets 1 day in jail on drug, booze and driving charges
- California officials filed seven misdemeanor counts against actress Lindsay Lohan on Thursday, in relation to the tabloid fixture's two drunk-driving arrests.
- Catchy Pakistani hit song pushes anti-terrorism message
- A group of Pakistani pop artists has collaborated on a song with an anti-terrorist message that has become an anthem among Pakistani youth.
- Keep old hits off festival stages, Vancouver Fringe told
- Some performers at Vancouver's International Fringe Festival are upset over a plan to reprise hits from past years during the September festival.
Arts Features
Blog Watch
Most Blogged about CBC.ca Articles
Note: CBC does not endorse and is not responsible for the content of external sites - link will open in new window