British Man’s Body Kept in Kenyan Mortuary for 11 Years as Family Fights Over His Death — Sons Say He Was Poisoned, Daughter Says He Wasn’t Murdered

A Kenyan magistrate has finally concluded the decade-long inquest into the 2013 death of British property tycoon Harry Roy Veevers — but the ruling leaves many questions unanswered.

Veevers died on Valentine’s Day in 2013 at his home in Mombasa, where he lived with his second wife, Azra Parvin Din. His death was initially attributed to a heart attack, but suspicions from his sons, Richard and Philip, led to accusations of poisoning and a court-ordered exhumation. By the time the body was exhumed — nine months later — it was too decomposed to determine a cause of death.

The case sparked a bitter legal battle between the sons from his first marriage and his second wife and their two daughters, Hellen and Alexandra. The feud centered on the cause of death, inheritance, and where Veevers should be buried — in Kenya or the UK.

Despite years of hearings, conflicting forensic reports, and intense courtroom drama, Magistrate David Odhiambo ruled this week that the cause of death remains unknown. No criminal charges will be filed, and he ordered the release of the body for reburial — though he did not decide which side of the family should take custody, urging them to seek legal resolution elsewhere.

The prolonged case reflects deep family divisions and a legal system lacking clear guidelines on burial disputes. With no will and no final directive from Veevers himself, his body has remained in a mortuary for over 11 years — and his final resting place is still undecided.