Del. man pleads guilty in murder of ex-girlfriend found stabbed, dismembered

A Newark, Delaware, man pleaded guilty Wednesday to the 2024 murder of his ex-girlfriend who was found stabbed and dismembered in Maryland.

According to the Delaware Department of Justice, Nobert Matara, 33, pleaded guilty to first-degree murder on April 29, 2026, following an investigation into the killing of 31-year-old Tracy Nyariki.

“The facts of this case are beyond disturbing,” said Attorney General Kathy Jennings. “It is difficult to comprehend this kind of violence. I am deeply grateful to our team and to the New Castle County Police who have worked tirelessly to achieve justice for the victim and her family. May it bring them some measure of peace.”  

The investigation began on Friday, Dec. 20, 2024, when New Castle County Police responded to the 2700 block of Stone Place in the Village of Kent Apartments in Newark, Delaware. Officials said Nyariki’s boss had contacted police after she failed to report to work for several days.

Police searched through Nyariki’s apartment but were unable to find her, which prompted officials to issue a Gold Alert reporting her as missing.

Investigators then identified Matara as a person of interest in Nyariki’s disappearance.

With help from Aberdeen Police, investigators found Matara and his car on the 1100 block of South Philadelphia Boulevard in Aberdeen, Maryland. Inside the car, police found Nyariki’s dismembered remains, according to investigators.

According to the DOJ, investigators determined that on Dec. 17, 2024, Matara attacked Nyariki inside her home, stabbing her 58 times and dismembering her. He then placed her body in a suitcase and fled to Aberdeen.

“I’m thankful for the hard work of our officers and detectives at the New Castle County Police Department, along with everyone at the Delaware Department of Justice, who carefully investigated this horrific incident,” said New Castle County Police Chief Col. James J. Leonard III. “Their commitment to justice and attention to detail were instrumental in securing this plea agreement.” 

Matara’s sentencing date has not been set.

He faces a mandatory sentence of life in prison.