Wanted for questioning in a homicide: Hoseah Masabah Kaminja a Kenyan native, 48 yrs old, 5'10/175 lbs
A statewide alert and an arrest warrant have been issued for a man suspected of killing his estranged wife Wednesday at her Hutchinson home.
The warrant for 48-year-old Hoseah Masabah Kaminja’s arrest on charges of first-degree murder and aggravated burglary was issued Thursday morning after local police officers and Kansas Bureau of Investigation agents were unable to locate Kaminja to question him in his wife’s death.
The body of Wilfrida N. Masabah, 41, was found Wednesday afternoon at 1601 Arthur, the rental home she shared with Levi M. Overman, 29.
About 2 p.m. Wednesday, Overman found Masabah’s body, Hutchinson Police Capt. Troy Hoover said. Neighbors also reported a disturbance at the home at about the same time after hearing Overman screaming, according to Hoover.
An ax was found at the scene, and Hoover said there was “severe trauma” to the body, but he could not confirm what weapon was used in the slaying, pending an autopsy at the Sedgwick County Regional Forensic Science Center.
“We believe an ax might have been used,” Hoover said.
He said the body wasn’t dismembered, but he could not comment further, pending the autopsy, which was scheduled for Thursday afternoon. At 5 p.m. Thursday, Hoover had not received the autopsy results and said information from the autopsy might be released today.
He confirmed Masabah was last seen alive by Overman at 10 a.m. Wednesday, but he did not know the last time Kaminja was seen. Overman has been interviewed by police and is not a suspect in the slaying.
Reno County District Court records show Kaminja filed for divorce from Masabah on Aug. 23. The court issued a temporary restraining order against both parties.
On Thursday, KBI Crime Scene Unit vehicles were parked in front of the home, and at least four people donned white protective gear to enter the home.
Hoover said Kaminja had not been identified as a suspect in the burglary Monday at the Arthur Street residence, which was reported by Masabah and Overman. A computer and clothing were stolen while the pair was not at home, according to police reports.
“The case is still under investigation,” Hoover said of the burglary.
According to Hoover, Masabah and Kaminja had prior contacts with police officers, who had previously responded to verbal arguments at the home they once shared at in the 800 block of West 32nd Avenue.
“Nothing rose to the level of domestic violence,” Hoover said.
After Masabah moved to 1601 Arthur within the past month, the couple’s three children, including two adults and one teenager, remained living with Kaminja. They are now staying with friends, Hoover said.
According to Hoover, the couple had lived in Hutchinson for nearly 14 years, and Kaminja worked as an occupational therapist.
David Cowles, who also lives in the 800 block of West 32nd Avenue, said Kaminja and Masabah had moved into their home in the neighborhood near the end of 2008. He said he did not know Kaminja but often saw him working in the yard.
Cowles estimated the homes in the “very nice neighborhood” to be in the $200,000 to $250,000 range, he said.
Kaminja, a Kenya native, did contract work as an occupational therapist through RehabCare, a Missouri-based company.
Stacy Lupo, assistant vice president of marketing and communications for RehabCare, confirmed Kaminja had worked for the company for the last eight years and had worked in various assisted-living facilities in the Hutchinson area and across Kansas. He was also a program director at the Hutchinson Care Center, overseeing the therapy department, she said.
Lupo said Kaminja’s co-workers were “absolutely” shocked and concerned by the news of his wife’s death. She said co-workers described him as a “model therapist and a model employee.”
She said he did not show up for work Thursday but did not know if he was present for work on Wednesday. Lupo also said Kaminja was “innocent until proven guilty.”
Hoover said authorities continue to work on several leads as to where Kaminja might be.
Kaminja is described as a 5-foot-10, 175-pound black male with black hair and brown eyes. He may be traveling in his red 2007 four-door Nissan Altima, with license plate No. VUI800.
The arrest warrant for Kaminja specifies a $500,000 bond, according to Hoover.
If anyone sees Kaminja, they should not approach him but alert authorities, Hoover said.
Anyone with information on his whereabouts should call the Hutchinson Police Department at (620) 694-2833 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS.
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