Kenyan Pastor Kills Wife and Himself During Church service

A Kenyan pastor murdered his wife then killed himself in front of his congregation, police tell CNN.

Eyewitnesses say that the assistant pastor of Ground for God's Gospel Church in Mombasa, Kenya, Elijah Misiko, left his seat and approached his wife, senior pastor Ann Mughoi, in the pulpit on Sunday. He then stabbed her with one of the knives that he had hidden in an envelope. After killing his spouse, Misiko slit his own throat.

"He walked up to his wife while the church was praying as if he wanted to whisper something to her." Mombasa sub-county police commander Julius Kiragu described. "Then he took one of the knives and stabbed her [wife] two times. He believed she was dead. He then stabbed himself three times in the stomach and slit his throat."

Misiko died on the scene from his wounds while Mughoi passed at a nearby hospital.

According to police, Misiko was arrested in 2017 after Mughoi claimed that he was plotting to kill her. Authorities released Misiko after proving her claims to be false. The couple has been estranged for two years since their battle over ownership of the church began.

"She had been trying to stay away from the husband since the dispute over the ownership of the church began," Kiragu said. "They had even reported the matter to church leaders but they were unable to resolve the dispute."

Misiko and Mughoi reportedly founded the church together. In the 17-page suicide note that Misiko left behind, he accused his wife of changing ownership of the church so that only her name was on the property.