In Kenya, residents of Mwala Sub-county, Machakos County, were on Wednesday left in shock after decomposing bodies of a police officer and a woman believed to be his girlfriend were found in their house in a suspected case of murder-suicide.

According to a police statement, the bodies of Police Constable Jeminsta Mutua, 40, of Nyakianga Police Station and 40-year-old Joyce Kaswii Muange were discovered after the officer’s mother raised alarm.

Esther Kaloki had gone to her son’s house and was met with a foul smell with the house locked from inside.

The matter was then reported to police and came to the scene, broke into the house where they found the two bodies.

Police found a suicide note supposedly written by the deceased officer and two empty bottles with a sticker written “horticulture poison”, a panga and a rope.

“The body of Joyce Muange appeared strangled while the mouth of the deceased officer had some foams,” the statement read in part.

Police believe the officer killed the woman before taking his own life.

The bodies were moved to Hospital awaiting a postmortem examination.