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2005 Murder of Anne Mendel

Kemi Adeyoola was the daughter of a millionaire property manager. She attended a private school and seemed to have a nice life.

Unfortunately, she was a thief who couldn’t avoid a criminal lifestyle.

The 17-year-old spent time in a youth detention center for her crimes. During that time, a guard discovered an 18-page guide she wrote on how to rob and kill a wealthy elderly woman and frame her husband. Her goal was to steal 3 million pounds.

The guide was titled Prison and After: Making Life Count. It listed the weapons she would need, how she planned to find a wealthy victim, and how she would kill the woman and dispose of her body. Lastly, she talked about how she would spend the money afterward.

She didn’t get in trouble for her disturbing writings and was soon released back onto the streets.

The blood thirsty teen decided to turn her fantasies into reality.

On March 19th, 2005, she decided to do a practice run. She went to the home of her former neighbor in North-West London, 84-year-old Anne Mendel, and ended her life by stabbing her 14 times.

Anne was found by her husband of 50 years when he returned home.

Investigators located a small amount of DNA on Mendel’s hand that they believe belonged to the killer. Testing revealed the DNA belonged to Adeyoola.

Police arrested her two months after the murder.

Legal Proceedings

At trial, the prosecution used the manual she wrote against her. They claimed it showed that the crime was premeditated.

Adeyoola claimed it was just a fictional crime story she was working on. She also said she had an alibi at the time of the crime. She tried to refute the DNA evidence by saying she may have scratched Mendel’s hand, helping her cross the street the day before.

The jury didn’t believe her, and they found her guilty of murder.

The judge referred to her as a “remorseless and cold-blooded killer” before he sentenced her to 20 years to life.

After her sentencing, her father disowned her, saying, ‘She is no longer my daughter. What she did was evil. I don’t even like her.’

TheJC reported in 2016, she tried to have her sentence reduced, claiming she made “exceptional and unforeseen progress” while locked up.

Her request was denied as her prison record indicated she was abusing substances while in custody, stealing from others, and intimidating her fellow inmates.

According to the DailyMail, the 35-year-old went to her first parole hearing in March 2023, . The board denied her release but recommended that she be moved to an open prison, which is a lower-security prison than the one she was in.

The DailyMail stated, “It is unusual for a person convicted in such a high profile murder case to be recommended for a security downgrade on their first appearance before the three-person board.”

No further updates have been published about Adeyoola since 2024, so her whereabouts are unknown.