Julie Ward

Last Updated on June 24, 2026

Julie Ward was in Kenya when she was murdered in September 1988.

Her partial remains were discovered by her father.

Ward’s body had been dismembered and burnt.

Although there have been arrests for her murder, all three suspects were acquitted at trial.

She was camping in the Masai Mara game reserve when she was killed.

Disappearance

Julie was reported missing by her father, John.

This was after Dixon called to say that Julie had never arrived back in Nairobi.

John flew to Kenya to try to find her.

He hired a plane to search the places that he knew she would camp.

Her jeep was spotted close to a river with an SOS message in dirt on top of the vehicle.

John investigated the site and found a burnt-out fire and footsteps leading away from the scene.

Her partial remains include her leg, jawbone and a lock of hair were found nearby.

They were found with some personal items, including her flip flops and sunglasses.

A half-eaten tin of sardines was also found 10km from her jeep.

A month later, further remains, including her skull and upper jawbone, were found near the Kenya/Tanzania border.

Last Known Movements

Julie was originally from Bury St Edmunds in England.

She was in Africa photographing wildlife, staying with an expat Paul Welde Dickson, in Nairobi.

Julie was travelling with a friend, Glen Burns.

Her vehicle broke down after going to lunch at Serena Sopa Lodge.

They were towed back to the lodge.

Julie stayed there until her car was fixed by a local mechanic.

Glen returned to Nairobi.

After her vehicle was fixed, Julie left to drive back to her camp.

She returned to collect camping equipment on September 6th 1988.

This was the last time she was seen alive before the Mari Safari death.

Investigation

The authorities in Kenya put forward several bizarre theories.

These include that she had been struck by lightning and eaten by lions or hyenas.

Other theories are that she had committed suicide.

Another is that she had stumbled across a drug or weapon smuggling operation.

The most popular theory is that she was killed due to an affair with a politician.

The investigation was handled poorly by Kenyan authorities.

The initial report by the coroner had been changed by a second doctor.

It was changed to cover up that she had been dismembered with a sharp blade.

Instead, the report was altered to conclude that she had been eaten by wild animals.

This was announced at a press conference by the police.

John has made several visits to Kenya over the years.

He has spent over £1 million on the investigation.

Her father, John, believed that the government had covered up the murder to protect the tourist industry.

The head gamekeeper of the park was also suspended from his role after the crime was discovered.

In 1990, John Ward asked the Foreign Secretary to intervene.

Scotland Yard investigated the murder.

As a result of the discovery of strands of hair at the Makari Rangers Outpost camp in 1992, two park rangers were arrested.

A 1997 investigation by Kenyan police led to the arrest of the head gamekeeper at the reserve.

They had concluded that Julie could not have driven her jeep to the location where it was discovered.

In 2008, advances in DNA technology led to the discovery of the DNA of one of the attackers from the crime scene.

In 2011, several DNA samples were collected to be tested.

The metropolitan police reopened the case in 2009 after a visit to Kenya.

The investigation, however, didn’t create any new leads.

This is despite a new witness claiming to know the whereabouts of the crime scene and potentially more of Julie’s remains.

Her father’s quest for the truth is covered in more detail inA Death In Kenya The Murder of Julie Ward A violent death, a vicious cover-up (AD*)

Inquests

In October 1989, a Kenyan inquest ruled that the crime was a murder by an unknown person or persons.

They failed to pass the case to the Attorney General for investigation.

An inquest in 2004 ruled a verdict of unlawful killing.

In this, it was discovered that her body was dismembered with a machete.

Dirt from the scene revealed that the remains and likely her personal items had been covered in petrol.

This took place before being set alight.

It also concluded there were several inconsistencies and lies from those involved in the original inquest.

Suspects

Valentine Uhuru Kodipo claimed to have witnessed the killing.

He told authorities that Ward was tortured and bludgeoned to death.

Valentine claims it was on orders of the ruling Kenya African National Union.

It happened due to her involvement with Jonathon Moi.

Valentine fled the country for fear of the death squads after giving his statement.

John Ward believed that Julie was romantically involved with Jonathon Moi.

Jonathon is the son of then President Moi.

There are claims that he had sexually assaulted and murdered her.

Moi died in April 2019 due to pancreatic cancer.

Three park rangers and another member of staff were considered suspects.

This was the result of vaporous investigations, but all were later acquitted.

Simon Ole Makallah, the head gamekeeper, became the lead suspect due to his inconsistent statements to the police.

He lied about his whereabouts at the time of the murder.

Simon told police he was unable to drive despite evidence of a car crash he was involved in and witness statements.

13 more suspects have been interviewed, but no arrests have been made.

A Death Retold in Truth and Rumour: Kenya, Britain and the Julie Ward Murder (AD*) discusses the case and suspects in more detail.

Arrests and Trials

In 1992, two park rangers, Jonah Tajeu Magiroi and Peter Metui Kipeen, were tried and acquitted of the murder of Julie Ward.

They were acquitted due to a lack of evidence.

The pair were released from custody after spending 22 months in jail.

The judge ruled that the hair and camera battery found in their camp were insufficient evidence.

David Kandula ole Nchoko, a staff member at the game reserve, was discharged by a committal court for lack of evidence.

The judge in the case suggested looking at the head gamekeeper, Simon Ole Makallah.

This is due to the statement he gave during the trial of the two park rangers.

The 1997 investigation concluded the same.

In 1999, the head gamekeeper, Simon Ole Makallah, was tried and acquitted of her murder due to a lack of evidence.

Both the assessors in the case and the judge agreed that there was insufficient evidence.

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