In a heart-wrenching tragedy that shook the community, former bank employee Mike Ilishebo, aged 44, reportedly ended the life of his 35-year-old wife, Valerie Franco, before succumbing to his own despair in Zambia.
The distressing event unfolded at Meanwood Ndeke Phase One area in Lusaka on Wednesday, April 3, 2024, leaving the neighborhood reeling with shock and disbelief.
Confirming the grim incident, Police Public Relations Officer Rae Hamoonga issued a statement on Thursday, April 4, detailing the harrowing sequence of events. According to the statement, Mr. Ilishebo allegedly strangled Valerie with an electric power adapter cable and inflicted fatal stab wounds to her abdomen with a knife.
The report indicated that the ordeal came to light when Alice Mapulanga, aged 38, made a distress call to Chelston Police Station through Ndeke-vorna Police Post. Upon arrival, police officers discovered Valerie’s lifeless body in the bedroom, with a knife deeply embedded in her abdomen.
Tragically, Mr. Ilishebo was found deceased in the sitting room, with ominous signs of a black substance emanating from his mouth, indicating the ingestion of a poisonous substance.
Details emerged suggesting that Mr. Ilishebo had strangled Ms. Franco with the cable and subsequently stabbed her before consuming the toxic substance, sealing his own fate.
The incident is reported to have occurred between 15:00 and 16:00 hours, plunging the surrounding community into a state of shock and grief.
The bodies were later transported to the University Teaching Hospital mortuary for further examination, marking a solemn conclusion to the devastating event.
Mr. Hamoonga revealed that the motive behind this tragic incident appeared to stem from a longstanding marital dispute between the couple, who shared an eight-month-old child, underscoring the profound complexities and heartbreak involved.
