Kenyan man kills mother-in-law, himself in Georgia

Atlanta Journal Constitution

A Kenyan man who was Barrow County restaurant owner is accused of killing his mother-in-law and then turning the gun on himself, authorities say.

Jennifer Muriu called 911 Monday night to report that her husband had fired a gun inside the couple’s Bethlehem home, said Barrow County Sheriff’s Lt. Matt Guthas.

“Mrs. Muriu did not know, however, if anyone had been hurt by the shooting,” Guthas said Tuesday in an emailed statement. “Also inside the residence at the time was a 66-year old-female, Diana Freeman, Jennifer’s mother.”

Inside the home, investigators found Freeman, who had been living with the couple, dead from apparent gunshot wounds.

Muriu’s husband, Ian Muriu, was dead of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, Guthas said.

“This investigation is ongoing,” Guthas said. “However, the indications at this point are that Ian Muriu shot and killed Diana Freeman, his mother-in-law, before turning the gun on himself and taking his own life.”

Investigators did not release possible motives for the deaths.

The Murius were co-owners of The Spitfire Restaurant at the Barrow County Airport in Winder, according to the restaurant’s Facebook page. The restaurant opened in May 2011 and is featured in this month’s edition of Georgia Magazine .

“The Murius landed in Winder after a decade working at restaurants and five-star resorts around the world,” the article states.

The deaths remain under investigation, the sheriff’s office said.