California murder: Autopsy of Anjana, Ann expected to be completed by Thursday

Thrissur: The autopsy procedures for Anjana Hari and Ann Mary Mathew, who were allegedly murdered in California, are expected to be completed by Thursday, September 3, following which their bodies are likely to be released to the families, according to Anjana's relative Vinod.

Vinod said Thrissur MP and Union Minister Suresh Gopi had informed the family that the coroner's office had conveyed the expected timeline to the families of the deceased. Once the autopsy formalities are completed, the bodies are expected to be handed over to the funeral homes handling the remains.

The funeral homes may take another one or two days to complete the procedures required on their part, following which the Indian Consulate in San Francisco is expected to complete the necessary documentation for repatriating the remains to Kerala, Vinod said.

The latest information provides a clearer timeline for bringing the bodies home. On Monday, Gopi had said that the timing of the handover remained uncertain as US authorities could retain the remains for further investigation.

Gopi had also said he spoke to the Consul General at the Indian Consulate in San Francisco at 7.25 am on Monday. According to the minister, the Consulate had instructed the funeral homes handling the remains to proceed with the documentation required to send the bodies to India.

The two women, Anjana Hari, 35, a native of Mudikkode in Thrissur, and Ann Mary Mathew, 40, from Kesavadasapuram in Thiruvananthapuram, were allegedly killed in Milpitas, California, on August 28.

According to relatives, their friend Anila, 32, a native of Moonnilavu in Kottayam, has been taken into US police custody in connection with the deaths. All three women, along with their families, lived in the same apartment complex.

According to information received by the families, Ann was allegedly stabbed inside an apartment before Anjana was called outside and allegedly run over by a car in the apartment complex's parking area. US authorities have confirmed the deaths as homicides, but the motive remains unclear.

The Milpitas Police Department had responded to a report of a hit-and-run at the Mill Creek Apartments on August 28 and found a woman with severe injuries in the parking lot. Police later located a vehicle matching the description given by witnesses and took a woman into custody.

The police investigation is continuing, and further details are expected after the forensic examinations and other investigative procedures are completed. Gopi has said that formal reports from the US authorities will have to be submitted to the Ministry of External Affairs, the Ministry of Home Affairs and NORKA before the full details of the case become clear.