Blood on hands, erased CCTV footage: Details emerge in US double murder of Malayali friends

California/Kottayam: Prosecutors in Santa Clara County, California, have formally charged 32-year-old Anila Baby, a native of Moonnilavu in Kottayam, with two counts of murder following the brutal killing of two close Malayali friends. Investigators have submitted the charge sheet to the court, detailing evidence that suggests a double homicide accompanied by an attempt to destroy evidence.

The two killings occurred within a 90-minute gap on August 28 across San Jose and Milpitas.

According to the charge sheet, police received an emergency call around 1.50 pm regarding suspicious activity at a residence on Linda Vista Street in San Jose. Officers responding to the scene discovered the body of 39-year-old Ann Mary Mathew bearing fatal injuries. She was pronounced dead at the scene. Investigators recovered the suspected murder weapon and soon deduced that the perpetrator was a close acquaintance, eventually focusing their investigation on Anila Baby.

While the investigation was underway, police received a report of a fatal hit-and-run incident near the Mill Creek Apartments on Dixon Landing Road in Milpitas. A pedestrian, later identified as 35-year-old Anjana Hari, was struck and killed by a blue car. Milpitas police learned that the blue vehicle had been driven recklessly, colliding with three other vehicles before being abandoned in a careless manner a mile away from the scene.

Subsequent inquiries revealed that both victims, Ann Mary Mathew and Anjana Hari, were close friends. Statements gathered from relatives led investigators directly to Anila, who was part of the same social circle.

Police located Anila inside the parked car near a local park. Court records state that her hands, feet and clothing were stained with blood, and she had sustained body injuries. She was speaking incoherently and refused to answer questions from the officers. Forensic analysis of bloodstains on her trousers suggests a match with the victims.

Eyewitnesses to the Milpitas incident reported that the driver accelerated toward Anjana as she walked past the car. Police established through mobile location data that Anila was present at Ann Mary's home between 10.30 am and 11.40 am on the day of the crime, prior to Anjana being killed.

Furthermore, investigators discovered that CCTV footage inside the residence had been erased during the time frame of the incident. However, available footage captured images of Anila's footwear, which matched the shoes she was wearing at the time of her arrest.