# Murder of Joy Adamson

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/murder-of-joy-adamson/45726>\
**Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\
**Created:** [December 15, 2000, 10:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/murder-of-joy-adamson/45726 "2000-12-15T10:13:31Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![mesinead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f4b2a3/32.png) [@mesinead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mesinead)\
**Post date:** [December 15, 2000, 10:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/murder-of-joy-adamson/45726/1 "2000-12-15T10:13:31Z")

</div>

Previously, Cecil answered a question regarding the true nature of Joy Adamson’s death, and that while it was initially thought that she had been mauled by a lion, in fact a 23-year-old herdsman named Paul Wakwaro Ekai was charged with the crime.

Was this herdsman found guilty? Curiously, I recently discovered her ex-husband George Adamson was killed by a poacher, but that this poacher was eventually acquitted of all charges.

It would be doubly ironic if both people, who were more involved with animals than humans, ended up not only being murdered by humans, but both of their murderers being acquitted.

Thanks.

Jane

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\
**Post date:** [December 15, 2000, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/murder-of-joy-adamson/45726/2 "2000-12-15T13:16:37Z")

</div>

The column is [Was “Born Free” author Joy Adamson killed by a lion–or murdered?](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a2_126.html) I don’t know the answers to your questions, though.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\
**Post date:** [December 15, 2000, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/murder-of-joy-adamson/45726/3 "2000-12-15T16:56:44Z")

</div>

Welcome to the SDMB, and thank you for posting your comment.  
Please include a link to Cecil’s column if it’s on the straight dope web site.  
To include a link, it can be as simple as including the web page location in your post (make sure there is a space **before** and **after** the text of the URL).

Cecil’s column can be found on-line at the link kindly supplied by bibliophage, a shining example of the conscientious SDMB member.

The column ( **including** Slug Signorino’s illustration) can also be found on page 126 of Cecil Adams’ book «[_More of the Straight Dope_](http://www.straightdope.com/otheroutlets/books.html)».

* * *

moderator, «[**Comments on Cecil’s Columns**](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/forumdisplay.php?forumid=1)»

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![JillGat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9fc29f/32.png) [@JillGat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JillGat)\
**Post date:** [December 15, 2000, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/murder-of-joy-adamson/45726/4 "2000-12-15T22:06:36Z")

</div>

[[Curiously, I recently discovered her ex-husband George Adamson was killed by a poacher]]

The guy didn’t have a license?  
Jill  
(sorry)

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Akatsukami](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ea666f/32.png) [@Akatsukami](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Akatsukami)\
**Post date:** [December 15, 2000, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/murder-of-joy-adamson/45726/5 "2000-12-15T23:13:54Z")

</div>

Yes. Paul Ekai was indeed found guilty of [Joy Adamson’s](http://www.utlib.ee/ee/Publikatsioonid/1998/kenya/joy.html) murder the following year (1981).