Union Leader Correspondent
Danville slaying: Child may have seen mom die
DANVILLE – One day before allegedly murdering the mother of his small son, Jackson Mwangi posted a message on his Facebook page hinting at trouble in his life.
"Only God can help me," he wrote.
The next day, authorities say the 28-year-old Manchester man repeatedly stabbed Randi Huntley and may have hit her with a hammer and ran her over with a car as the couple's 4-year-old son watched.
Mwangi, of 447 Cartier St., Manchester, was arraigned in Exeter District Court yesterday on a first-degree murder charge and ordered held without bail. He appeared only briefly and said nothing before being led from court and returned to Rockingham County Jail.
Mwangi was arrested by New Hampshire State Police Tuesday, shortly after he allegedly attacked Huntley, 25, at her home at 67B Cobbler's Ridge Road. He had lived there until a couple of months ago when he moved out.
Police responded to the Cobbler's Ridge Road address just before 4 p.m. Tuesday for a report of a hit-and-run accident. Officers arrived and found Huntley, who had apparently been stabbed, authorities said. She was rushed to Parkland Medical Center in Derry where she died.
Shortly after the attack, a bulletin was issued urging police to look for a 1999 Infiniti. By about 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, dispatchers began receiving reports of a man trying to flag down motorists while parked along Route 101 east near Exit 9 in Exeter. When state and local police arrived they realized that it was Mwangi, authorities said. Police cruisers swarmed the car and Mwangi was arrested. A police dog was also brought in to search for evidence along the highway.
Huntley was described as a loving mother who held two jobs and worked hard. She worked full-time at East Coast Lumber in Hampstead and had a second job at a Dollar Tree store.
The middle child of three girls, Huntley grew up in Raymond and graduated from Raymond High School in 2003. She earned a bachelor's degree in child psychology from Hesser College and was looking forward to finding a job in her field.
Photographs posted on her Facebook page show a mother who adored her boy; she often referred to him as "lil man."
Miles away in Manchester, a neighbor of Mwangi expressed shock when told about his arrest.
"Honestly, he seemed like a hard-working, easy-going, laid-back kind of guy," said the woman,
Hinckley said Mwangi appears to be a Kenyan born U.S. citizen.
Details surrounding the investigation into Huntley's death are contained in an affidavit sealed by the court at the prosecutor's request. Search and arrest warrants were sealed as well.
Hinckley said the documents were sealed because the investigation is ongoing.
"It's not a closed investigation after an arrest is made," he said.
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