A deputy prosecutor in the St. Joseph County Prosecutor’s Office is no longer employed after the decision not to prosecute Edward Mwaura three days before he committed murder.
Mwaura is the man who stabbed his 6-year-old daughter, Shirley Mundia, to death just three days later.
Mwaura was arrested at the Irish Hills apartment complex on May 30th for invasion of privacy. He was later released.
The Prosecutor’s office says the deputy prosecutor made the decision not to prosecute the May 30th. That decision was made because the Mwaura’s name was misspelled “Mwawara,” when typed into a search.
The Prosecutor’s office says the deputy prosecutor failed to correctly search for the victim’s last name, Mundia, which would have shown the valid protective order.
Prosecutor Michael Dvorak clarified that the incorrect search yielded an invalid protective order filed by Lucy Mundia. Proper protocol for an invalid protective order would have been to not prosecute. However, Dvorak reinforced that the office of the prosecutor must be thorough.
The Prosecutor’s office says “It is the responsibility of prosecutors to seek justice and enforce the laws. This does not end with a cursory review of the evidence. Clearly, Mwaura should have been charged with a the misdemeanor charge of “Violation of a Protective Order”.
The Prosecutor’s office says it’s deputy office failed to exercise the thoroughness expected, particularly in crimes with women and children as victims of domestic abuse.-wsbt.com
