The beating death of a Citibank executive has sparked an international manhunt with police in the U.K. assuring the public the unsolved “tragic crime” does not pose a “wider risk to the public.”
Officers were called on Jan. 17 to the southeast London home of Marianne Kilonzi, 43, over concerns about the “welfare of the occupant,” Metropolitan Police spokesperson Will Staynes said, according to People.
Kilonzi’s body was found when police arrived, Staynes said via People, with an autopsy cited by the BBC later showing she died of blunt-force trauma and a head injury.
Police had yet to make an arrest with the BBC reporting they were looking into whether a suspect had fled the country.
“I know this is a concerning time for the wider community and want to reassure the public that whilst we are in the early stages of this investigation, we believe the suspect was known to Marianne and there is no wider risk to the public,” Det. Chief Insp. Suzanne Soren said in a statement, via People.
“This is a tragic crime and our thoughts at this incredibly difficult time are with Marianne’s loved ones and colleagues.”
Kilonzi began working with Citibank as an assistant vice-president in 2006 before taking on the role of treasury and trade solutions vice-president for Citibank N.A. in Kenya, People reported.
Her LinkedIn profile said she was most recently a vice-president of trade and working capital sales, a job she was tasked with in June 2023. She also ran a dragon boat team with her colleagues, People reported, with the group helping raise more than $2.4 million for Cancer Research U.K.
“We are deeply saddened by the tragic loss of our colleague,” a Citibank spokesperson said in a statement to the BBC. “Our thoughts are with Marianne’s family and friends during this difficult time.”