A Riley County jury has concluded that a 29-year-old Manhattan man intentionally killed his estranged wife while she slept in her home in late September 2021.
Kamahl Bobian was convicted Friday on charges of first-degree murder, aggravated burglary and two counts of violating a protective order. Jurors deliberated for about two hours, following a week of testimony from close to two dozen witnesses and the defendant. He faces a sentence of 50 years to life in prison, when he’s sentenced to prison next month.
In his closing statement, Deputy Riley County Attorney Trinity Muth stated the protection from abuse order, filed by Shanell Bobian more than a week prior to her killing, was the “fuel that led to her losing her life,” because Kamahl couldn’t take “no” for an answer.
Muth told jurors that Shanell feared for her life and did everything right, filing a court order more than a week before her killing and then also stayed at a friend’s house in St. George for two days. Despite this, he noted that Kamahl still managed to get into Shanell’s home and plunged a knife into her neck, while their two babies slept beside her. He also stated that Kamahl sent degrading photos of her, after the PFA was issued, as a “power move,” because he couldn’t accept that their relationship had come to an end.
Kamahl’s attorney Julie Effenbeck argued the stabbing was not pre-meditated, but rather the result of a tragic accident following an argument between the two. Muth however further argued that Kamahl’s own words to police in a confession after the murder were damning enough to show he made the conscious decision to kill her.
Sentencing is scheduled to take place at 1:30 p.m. Dec. 19 in Riley County District Court.
