This archive report was first published on 8 January 2020.
On January 7, 2020, Beverly Lorraine Jenne, 85, appeared in court at the Kent Regional Justice Center in Washington, US, using a walker to assist her. She pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder and assault in the shooting deaths of two Kenyan sisters, Janet Oyuga, 37, and Angela Oyuga, 45.
The incident occurred on December 19, 2019, when Jenne shot and killed Janet Oyuga and wounded Angela Oyuga inside their home in Seattle, Washington. The sisters had been hosting Jenne after she lost her house in November 2019.
According to court papers, Jenne owned the home since 1979 until it was foreclosed and sold. The new owner rented the house to Janet and Angela, who allowed Jenne to stay with them until she found an alternative place.
Days after the fatal shooting, the house was extensively destroyed by a fire. Investigators found a note inside Jenne's car that read, “Janet is not a very nice person” and “I had no one to help me.”
The prosecution recommended Jenne's bail to be set at Sh101, 300, 000, citing her great animosity against the sisters. The sisters' family in Gem, Siaya County, has pleaded with the government and well-wishers to assist in flying Janet's body home for burial.
Speaking to The Standard, Sophie Oyuga, a sister of the victims, said her siblings had left for the US in search of greener pastures and that an attempt to offer a helping hand to an elderly woman had turned tragic.
Angela Oyuga, who was shot in the chest and suffered broken ribs and punctured lungs, has been discharged from the hospital and is recuperating under care. The family is worried about rising mortuary fees and wishes to have Janet's body flown to their rural home for burial.
