A United States Army court has sentenced Kenyan-born Staff Sergeant John Gitau Mwangi to 26 years in prison after he pleaded guilty to the unpremeditated murder of his wife, fellow soldier Sergeant Esther Gitau, following a domestic dispute at their home in Killeen, Texas.
The sentence was handed down on December 12 during a court-martial at Fort Hood’s Lawrence Williams Judicial Center, where Military Judge Colonel Maureen Kohn ordered Mwangi to serve his term at the United States Disciplinary Barracks in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, and also imposed a reduction in rank to E-1, forfeiture of all pay and allowances, and a dishonorable discharge from the Army.
The tragedy occurred on the evening of February 21, 2025, when investigators say Mwangi and Sgt. Esther Gitau, 37, engaged in an argument at their off-post residence that escalated into violence.
Prosecutors stated that Mwangi shot his wife multiple times before locking her in a bedroom and leaving the home, later calling his brother from his vehicle and admitting what he had done.
His brother alerted authorities, and when police responded to the residence on Lakecrest Drive, they found Sgt.
Gitau with multiple gunshot wounds; she was pronounced dead later that night.
Two children were in the home at the time of the incident; they were unharmed and reportedly unaware of the violence that had taken place, according to police and military statements.
The Army’s Criminal Investigation Division and the Killeen Police Department cooperated in the investigation, using blood, DNA and other forensic evidence to build the case that led to formal charges filed on April 2.
Sgt. Esther Gitau, a food safety inspector assigned to the 1st Medical Brigade, had previously served at Naval Station Norfolk in Virginia and Fort Knox in Kentucky.
Her life and service to the military were remembered by colleagues and family during the proceedings, and Army prosecutors emphasized that the sentence, while significant, could not undo the harm caused by her untimely death.
“Though nothing we can do will bring Esther Gitau back, we can only hope that the family can begin to heal as a result of today’s proceedings,” said Lt. Colonel William Wicks, a prosecutor with the Army’s Office of Special Trial Counsel.
The case has resonated deeply within both the military community and among those following it abroad, particularly in Kenya, where Ms. Gitau’s roots and service as a soldier honored by the American flag have drawn widespread attention and sympathy.
The sentencing closes a painful chapter in a case marked by loss and shock, but for friends, family and the couple’s children, the emotional impact of the events remains profound.
