ROCHESTER, Minn. – After a five-day trial a jury found a Rochester man guilty of a near-fatal attack on his wife two years ago. Joseph Kinyanjui, 67, was charged first-degree and second-degree attempted murder, along with first and second-degree assault, for bludgeoning his wife with a hammer at their home. The jury also found aggravating factors that could lengthen Kinyanjui’s sentence. He was ordered held without bond until sentencing September 8. Kinyanjui was arrested in May 2019 after Rochester police found him hitting his wife on the head with a hammer in an attack that continued even after they arrived. Officers ended the assault by Tasing him. Kinyanjui’s wife was rushed to a hospital with life-threatening injuries. Initially Kinyanjui was ruled incompetent to stand trial, but that changed after a second psychiatric evaluation.
Kinyanjui. Guilty on all counts. Jury says he’s undeserving of leniency.