Kenyan woman in US shot dead by husband who then turns gun on self

Police in the United States say a 39-year-old Kenyan woman was shot dead by her husband in a suspected case of murder-suicide in Savage, Minnesota.

Esther Nyambura Muchina Dobie died of a gunshot wound following what authorities believe was an altercation at her home in the 9300 Block of 125th Street.

Savage police have identified Rodney Terrell Dobie, 41, as the man who fatally shot Ms Muchina in the head before turning the gun on himself.

“Dobie used a 9mm Glock handgun to shoot Muchina once in the head, then fatally shot himself in the head,” said a police spokesman Thursday.

Police found their bodies just after 11:30am at a house when they responded to a welfare call from Ms Muchina’s employer after she failed to report for work.

Ms Muchina was last seen leaving work on March 28, according to a police report.

On the day Ms Muchina died, the employer said her absence from work was “highly unusual”, according to Savage Police Sgt. Michael Schiltz.

On Tuesday, the Hennepin County medical examiner’s office released the identities of the two people.

In response to a question about why it took more than a week to release the names, Savage Police Chief Rodney Seurer said Tuesday that the authorities had to contact Ms Muchina’s relatives, who live in Kenya.

TOOK TIME TO MAKE POSITIVE ID

“It took some time to gather the information and to make a positive ID,” he said.

When the police arrived at the couple’s home, they found one of the garage doors open and the service door between the garage and the home unsecured.

Police entered the home and found the bodies of Mr Dobie and Ms Muchina in a bedroom.

Sgt Schiltz said the two had been living at the home for about one year and three months.

Neighbours said they did not know the couple very well and that the two mostly kept to themselves.

A neighbour, Mr Rommel Malinis, told local media that police had been frequenting the couple’s home since the night the two died.

“It’s kind of scary to have something like that. I’ve never seen anything like this happen before,” Mr Malinis told CBS Minnesota TV.

The Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and the Hennepin County Medical Examiner are assisting the Savage Police Department with investigations.

A family member, who sought anonymity, told the Nation that Kenyans and other well-wishers had been meeting in Bloomington, Minnesota, for prayers.

“We intend to hold a fundraiser this Saturday to assist the family (to) transport the body to Kenya for burial,” she said.