Jurors heard graphic testimony from witnesses in the trial of a husband accused of repeatedly stabbing his wife on Sept. 23. The proceedings are being argued before Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Michael A. DiPietro.
During opening arguments, the prosecution told jurors that this is a matter of “obscenely cruel events” with an “inevitable, inescapable, and unavoidable conclusion that the defendant murdered his wife”.
Following a mental competency evaluation Kumar was found fit to stand trial for the 2019 murder of his wife Ankita Verma, 29. According to charging documents, on Jan. 11, 2019 Kumar allegedly stabbed his wife 55 times during a domestic dispute on the 6700 block of Holabird Avenue.
In the original Feb. 2020 murder case, the defendant Amith Kumar, 47, was found guilty of use of a deadly weapon with intent to injure and sentenced to three years in prison. However, following a successful appeal on the grounds the jury was improperly selected in April 2021, he is being retried on charges of first-and-second-degree murder.
The dispute arose after Kumar claimed his wife was having an affair with her boss, who was also their landlord. Surveillance footage allegedly revealed Kumar leaving his residence in the early morning of January 11, 2019. No other individuals were seen entering or leaving the apartment until coworkers came to check on Verma to find her deceased in the bedroom later that evening.
During opening statements, the prosecution stated that the defendant “picked up a knife and put it in the sink”. They alleged that the defendant committed a “brutal murder” and the case is “as tragic as it is simple”. The prosecutor said the jury will come to a “terrible conclusion”, and that the defendant claims that this is a suicide but will “twist himself into a pretzel” while making that case.
In an opposing statement, defense attorney Brandon Thornton argued against the first-degree murder charge, claiming that the defendant’s actions were not premeditated. He also stated that the defendant’s wife had picked up a knife during the verbal dispute and made threats towards Kumar. The prosecutor highlighted that Kumar had turned himself into police yet stated that his wife had committed suicide.
Following opening arguments, the victim’s former lover, boss, and landlord testified that he had gone to check-in on the victim after she did not show up for work on Jan. 11, 2019.
Upon entering the apartment, he discovered bloodstains on the bedroom door as well as the victim deceased on the ground. He stated that his relationship with the victim began when the defendant traveled to India for family concerns in 2018. During the trip, a photograph of Verma kissing the witness emerged. The defendant saw the image and argued with the witness a few days prior to the incident. The witness testified that he loved Verma, which had angered Kumar.
Meanwhile, a Baltimore City Crime Scene Unit technician who responded to the incident described photographs taken at the scene. The gruesome images detailed the victim’s body with damage to her clothing and severe lacerations on both arms. Photographs also include various angles of suspected bloodstains on surfaces such as the bedroom door, nearby furniture including a stool, and the shower wall. A photo ID and mail addressed to the victim were also displayed, as well as images of the knife alleged to have been used during the crime, which was left in the kitchen sink.
During a cross-examination, defense attorney Judit Otvos stated that the technician would not have known what the victim’s clothing and the inside of the apartment looked like prior to the incident.
The trial is set to continue throughout the week with additional testimonies.
