Woman strangled her boyfriend to death over a bizarre reason, wrapped him in a robe and dumped his remains in a closet; claimed self-defense in court but the jury was unconvinced

In a chilling turn of events, a 23-year-old woman has been sentenced to life imprisonment for strangling her boyfriend of two months to death. Stemming from an argument over a bizarre reason in their shared apartment, the woman insisted that her actions were a desperate measure of self-defense

A heated argument over “loud music” led to a tragic outcome for a couple. The 23-year-old Iyanna C., received a life sentence for the strangulation of her then-boyfriend, Maan A., who was 25 years old at the time of the incident.

The couple had only been living together in Maan’s apartment for about a week when their argument on “Jan. 17, 2022,” took a fatal turn. According to Iyanna’s account, during the argument, she doused Maan with water and felt compelled to strangle him because she thought the “situation was life or death.” She also claims that Maan’s aggressive response was what led to the killing.

Authorities said Iyanna admitted to investigators that she prayed over Maan’s body for an hour or more and cried before she knew for sure that he was dead. Iyanna then wrapped the victim’s body in a robe, dumped his remains in a closet, slept for hours on Maan’s mattress, went out for a walk because she was “tired of looking at him,” and tried to wipe her fingerprints from the scene of the homicide at the Briargate Apartment complex. It wasn’t until the next day that law enforcement learned of the killing, which Iyanna had told her parents about that morning. Investigators found Maan’s body while Iyanna was at their headquarters. He died of mechanical asphyxiation.

Several legal nuances emerged during the trial. One crucial point was Circuit Judge P. Bridenstine’s decision to omit certain confessions Iyanna had made to the police, especially since she had requested an attorney and opted to “remain silent.”

But the jury was unconvinced by Iyanna’s self-defense argument. After three days of deliberation in August, they found her guilty of premeditated first-degree murder. The defense’s plea that “Iyanna wouldn’t be alive if she hadn’t killed Maan” did not sway the jury, which leaned more towards the prosecutor’s narrative.

The closing statements from Assistant Prosecutor Amy S. were pivotal. She stated that Iyanna’s actions were deliberate, and she acted with forethought. Judge Bridenstine’s verdict ensured that Iyanna would spend her life in a state prison, deeming her “a third habitual offender.”

It’s worth noting that Iyanna’s past isn’t free from violence. Court documents reveal that she faced legal consequences for two separate assaults in 2021—one against a law enforcement officer and another involving a physical attack on a man using a metal pipe.

“The jury disregarded your defense and found you responsible for the killing of Mr. Maan,” the judge reportedly said.