Hoseah Masabah Kaminja (Courtesy photo)
LAS CRUCES — A man wanted for the ax-murder of his wife in Kansas was found dead of an apparent suicide Tuesday in Las Cruces, according to law enforcement.
Hoseah Masabah Kaminja, a 48-year-old occupational therapist from Hutchinson, Kan., had been wanted on a $500,000 bond since being charged in the murder one week ago of his estranged wife.
Wilfrida N. Masabah, 41, had filed for divorce in August from Kaminja in August, according to the Hutchinson News. The couple had three children together.
A roommate discovered Masabah’s body the afternoon of Sept. 29 after reports of a disturbance, the News reported. She was ruled to have died from “severe” injury to her head, neck and chest, believed to have been inflicted by a hatchet found at the scene, the News reported.
Police initially suspected Kaminja might have been trying to escape the country and return to Kenya, his place of birth, on an international flight, the News reported.
He had not been spotted during his drive to New Mexico, according to police.
Kaminja’s body and his red 2007 Nissan Altima were found Tuesday, according to Captain Troy Hoover, of the Hutchinson Police Department. A manner of death is expected within days, after an autopsy in Albuquerque, Hoover said.
Doña Ana Sheriff’s investigator Lindell Wright confirmed that the body found Tuesday was that of Kaminja, but declined to provide any other information until Kansas detectives arrived on scene.
“The detectives are en route,” Wright said Tuesday night. “They’ll oversee any releases we do because it’s their case.”
Ashley Meeks can be reached at (575) 541-5462
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