Appeals Court Upholds Rochester Man’s Attempted Murder Conviction
St. Paul, MN (KROC-AM News) - The Minnesota Court of Appeals has upheld a Rochester man's conviction for nearly killing his wife with a hammer.
68-year-old Joseph Kinyanjui unsuccessfully argued that he was denied a fair trial because the judge in the case allowed testimony about his previous abusive behavior toward his wife and other family members. The appeals court did agree that the judge made an error in his instructions to the jury but also ruled that it had no impact on the outcome of the trial.
Kinyanjui was sentenced a year ago to 20 years in prison after he was found guilty of first and second-degree attempted murder and first and second-degree assault charges for bludgeoning his wife with a hammer. The attack occurred in the family's home in May 2019.
The criminal complaint says Kinyanjui was still striking his wife with a hammer when Rochester police arrived at the home and used a Taser to stop him. She was rushed to St. Marys Hospital with life-threatening injuries.
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