U.S granny charged with shooting Kenyan sisters pleads not guilty

Mumbi Mutuko

January 8, 2020 5:07 PM

American woman planned suicide after killing Kenyan roommate

Beverly Lorraine Jenne in court

An 85-year-old American woman charged with murder and assault of two Kenyan women pleaded not guilty.

Beverly Lorraine Jenne was charged with first-degree murder and first-degree assault, for fatally shooting Janet Oyuga and then shooting her sister Angela Atieno.

Prosecutors claimed that Jenne harbored resentment toward the two sisters who were renting-to-own the house she had lost to foreclosure.

Reports had indicated that the two Kenyan sisters had allowed Jenne to live with them so she wouldn’t become homeless.

Beverly Lorraine Jenne in court Beverly Lorraine Jenne in court Pulse Live Kenya

"Jenne clearly harbored significant animosity towards Ms Oyuga that culminated in shooting her multiple times and killing her,” Senior Deputy Prosecutor Terence Carlstrom said.

Suicide note

According to the prosecutors, Jenne followed up the killing by shooting Oyuga’s unsuspecting sister in the back when she got home from work and started to walk.

A suicide note, signed by Jenne and dated December 18, was found under the front seat of Jenne’s car.

Kenyans sisters who were shot by Beverly Lorraine Jenne Kenyans sisters who were shot by Beverly Lorraine Jenne Pulse Live Kenya

“Janet is not a very nice person, she drove me to this,” the note begins, according to the charges, and goes on to accuse Oyuga of taking Jenne’s possessions," the note read.

“Janet just pushed and pushed and I just couldn’t cope anymore as I had no one to help me … I think she was getting ready to evict me and I’m 85 and no place to go," it added.

Mumbi Mutuko