German man sleeping with dead Kenyan wife cleared by judge

Kenyan Court Clears German Who Slept with Dead Wife of Murder

Mombasa, Kenya – 43-year-old Michael Bibcke Robel, a German national from Hamburg, has been cleared of the December 2009 murder of his wife Esther Elsi Igoki Munyi. He was initially charged with her murder after authorities learned that the man had been sleeping next to her deceased body. The body was in an active state of decomposition.

As oddly as that sounds, it was also clear to police that Robel had attempted suicide by stabbing himself in the bosom. However, Judge Maureen Odero, the presiding authority in the trial, cited the fact that the coroner found no sign of neck trauma to suggest strangulation as the cause of death. Ultimately, a lack of evidence left the court no choice but to acquit Robel.

Family testified that Robel suffers from a mental illness which may account for the odd behavior following his wife’s untimely death. This claim was further bolstered by doctors who examined Robel’s behavior.

“It is pertinent that under cross-examination by the defence counsel, the doctor did concede that no obvious injuries were seen on the neck. There was no strangulation,” Judge Maureen Odero said in her ruling.

This further persuaded Judge Odero that Robel could not be found guilty of murder given that the charge requires the mental faculty to possess malicious intent prior to taking a person’s life. Where does Robel go from here? He is now in the custody of the German embassy in Kenya.

“A person of unsound mind is incapable of possessing malice aforethought required to prove murder,” the judge said.

Canadian Man Drives Dead Wife 225 Miles

In 2011, a Canadian man traveled 225 miles with his dead wife in the car.

The 71 year old man who’s name was not released, was concerned about his wife when she began experiencing health problems while vacationing in Oregon. Once he realized she had died, he was unsure if he could cross the border into Canada, so he kept driving.

Eventually, the man contacted the Onstar vehicle emergency system for help just outside of Canada. Dispatchers convinced him to take his wife to the Tonasket Police Department for an evaluation.

According to Tonasket Police Chief Robert Burks, the man was simply confused about how to proceed. “He wasn’t sure what to do, so he kept driving”. Once they arrived at the police station, the wife was transferred to a local hospital where she was declared dead. Authorities do not believe foul play was involved.

Online:

German man sleeping with dead Kenyan wife cleared
http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/afp/131108/german-found-sleeping-dead-wife-cleared-murder

German man sleeping with dead Kenyan wife cleared
http://www.vanguardngr.com/2013/11/man-found-sleeping-dead-wife-cleared-murder/