85-year-old woman charged with murder in roommate’s death

FEDERAL WAY, Wash. — King County prosecutors are charging an 85-year-old woman with first-degree murder in the shooting death of her roommate.

Investigators say Beverly L. Jenne shot Janet Oyuga multiple times, killing her. Investigators say Jenne also shot her other roommate, Angela Atieno, in the back.

The two victims are sisters, and both women are in their 30s.

Court documents filed Christmas Eve say, “Angela told police that she had just come home and, while walking up the stairs, she got shot."

Police say Jenne, the suspect, emptied the revolver she used – firing all six shots.

“It’s insane, really," Adrian Cedeira, whose family lives in the neighborhood, told KIRO7.com. “It’s one of those situations where, you know, given very specific circumstances, you never know what anyone is capable of, especially given the image of an elderly woman.”

Records show the suspect has lived at the home in the 2000 block of SW 306th Lane in Federal Way for 40 years. But recently, the house went into foreclosure and someone bought the home.

Neighbors say the two sisters just moved in last month.

“Despite the fact that the victims … allowed the defendant to remain living there while she looked for alternative housing arrangements so she wouldn’t end up homeless, the defendant clearly harbored significant animosity towards Ms. Oyuga,” prosecutors said in court documents.

Detectives said they found a handwritten note inside Jenne’s 1977 Chevrolet Malibu, where the suspect wrote in part:

"She drove me to this. … I think she was getting ready to (e)vict me and I'm 85 and no place to go…."

Documents say the note was signed “Beverly L. Jenne" and dated Dec. 18 at 10:58 p.m. -- less than two hours before the deadly shooting.

A pastor for the two sisters said Atieno was still hospitalized at Harborview Medical Center as of the morning of Christmas Eve.

Jenne’s bail has been set at $1 million.

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