First court appearance set for Jefferson City man suspected of killing his wife
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)
A Jefferson City man accused of killing his wife during an argument over marital infidelity will appear in court for the first time Friday.
Malang J. Akbari, 46, was charged Tuesday with murdering his wife, Manhaz Akbari, by stabbing her to death in their home on East McCarty Street. Court documents say Malang Akbari suspected his wife of cheating. Prosecutors charged him with first-degree murder, child endangerment and armed criminal action.
An Amber Alert was sent out for Akbari's 18-month-old son and a 12-year-old, but the alert was later canceled. The baby was found safe at a relative's house, and it's not clear where the older child was found.
An adult child found Manhaz Akbari stabbed to death in the house after a call from Malang Akbari admitting to the killing. Malang Akbari had already fled the house with the children, according to court documents.
The adult child called 911. Police blocked off part of the street during the daylong investigation.
Multiple neighbors told ABC 17 News that Akbari moved to the United States from Afghanistan. The family attended First UMC church in Jefferson City, and Pastor Trevor Dancer wrote to ABC 17 News that the church helped the family resettle in Jefferson City.
"Like the other families, Malang Jan had worked with the U.S. military in Afghanistan — serving, as I understand it, as a translator," Dancer wrote. "Because of that service, he and his family became targets of the Taliban. The U.S. military brought them here as asylum seekers for their safety.
Dancer said the family seemed to be integrating, and the church's focus is on helping the children recover after the killing.
"For most of the time, this family was average members of our community," Dancer wrote. "They went to work and school. That was their hope coming here and remains the hope of the children."
Malang Akbari remained in the Cole County Jail on Wednesday. He has been denied bond.
