ALEXANDRIA, Va. — Over six years ago, two people were killed in Fairfax County and the person accused of the crimes fled the country to Africa. On Thursday, the now 28-year-old has been convicted for both homicides.
Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano announced that a jury convicted Yohannes Nessibu of voluntary manslaughter for the 2016 killing of Henok Yohannes. The jury also found him guilty of an additional felony for using a firearm in commission of a felony.
This comes after Nessibu, an Alexandria resident, was previously convicted of first-degree murder in an August 2022 trial for the killing of Kedest Simeneh, which happened during the same incident. Both victims were 22 at the time.
The killings happened on the night of Dec 22, 2016, when Nessibu and a few others, including Simeneh, went to buy marijuana from Henok Yohannes. According to Descano, prosecutors showed during trial that after a dispute over payment, Nessibu shot the victim twice in the back of the head, killing him. He then left the scene with the same group and shot Simeneh later that night, leaving her body at a Burke residence. The next morning, Nessibu flew to Ethiopia, where he stayed until he was extradited in 2019.
“This is a tragic case where two young lives were taken from the community and their families,” Descano said. “Nothing can bring the victims back, but I hope that today’s guilty verdict can help the families begin to heal.”
Descano also noted that the case has gone on for so long due to the international extradition.
Nessibu will be sentenced on June 16 for all the convictions and faces up to life in prison for the first-degree murder charge.