Authorities have ruled out organ harvesting after completed post-mortems on the 112 bodies of cult members found in Kenya's Shakahola village, Kilifi county, local media has reported.
According to chief pathologist Johansen Oduor, the majority of the victims died from starvation, whilst others perished from strangulation and suffocation. Most of the deceased are children and women.
Following the end of the initial autopsies, police are expected to return to the village to exhume more bodies from mass graves in search of cult members, who were allegedly convinced by the cult's leader Paul Mackenzie that fasting would allow them to see Jesus.
Last week, exhumations in Shakahola village, located near the coastal city of Malindi in southern Kenya, were suspended due to heavy rains. It was noted that they will be resumed on Monday, but the process depends on weather conditions and the state of the ground.
The local Red Cross has raised concerns that the number of dead could rise further, as more than 300 people in the area have been reported missing. On Saturday, local media reported that three more people were found alive in Shakahola, as search operations for survivors are underway. The number rescued so far stands at 61.
On Friday, Kenyan President William Ruto appointed a commission to investigate the death of members of the religious cult known as the Good News International Church, headed by Paul Mackenzie. The commission is expected to indicate the circumstances under which the deaths occurred, identify people and organizations most responsible for the Shakahola forest massacre and recommend specific actions to hold them accountable.
Cult leader Mackenzie was arrested on April 14 accused of starving his followers to death and now is in police custody facing terrorism charges. One of Kenya's high-profile pastors, Ezekiel Odero, was also detained by police in connection with Mackenzie's case. However, on Thursday, he was released on bail of 1.5 million Kenyan shillings (about $11,000).