A Death in Kenya

When English expatriate Julie Ward was found dead in a Kenya game preserve in 1988, her body mutilated and burned, Kenyan officials insisted she had been killed by wild animals even though a postmortem confirmed that she had been murdered. Her father, hotel chain owner John Ward, spent $396,000 investigating the case, revealing a Kenya government cover-up spiked with forgery and bureaucratic stonewalling. Two rangers were charged with her murder in February 1991, and the trial is pending. Scotland Yard's version of the crime conflicts with Ward's scenario, but Los Angeles Times Nairobi bureau chief Hiltzik has reservations about Ward's sleuthing ability. In a true-life detective story told with admirable restraint, Hiltzik communicates a father's heartbreak, rage and determination to get justice. The author sets the case in the context of Kenya's tribal politics, xenophobia, tourist trade, hunting mystique and decrepit road system. Photos. (Aug.)