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Man Sentenced More Than 75 Years For Killing Family

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- A man who confessed to killing his family was sentenced to three consecutive, 25-year sentences Friday.

Justus Kebabe admitted to killing his wife, 32-year-old Bilha Omare, his 9-year-old daughter, Ivyn Ogendi, and 12-year-old son Kinley Ogendi at their apartment in Vadnais Heights, Minn. in October.

The minimum that Kebabe will have to serve is 51 years, even if he does have good behavior.

Kebabe, 44, admitted in court back in October that he struck his wife in the head with a golf club and also strangled her. He also admitted to giving the two kids cranberry juice with Tylenol PM pills, then drowning his son in a bathtub and strangling his daughter until she died.

The judge described it as one of most heinous crimes in Ramsey County in recent history.

"Two totally innocent, venerable children were put to death by the hands of father," said the judge.

Bilha Omare's brother, Danvas Omarhe, said while speaking to the court Friday to "lock him up and never let him see the light of day again."

He described to the court how the family had come from Kenya to live the American dream. Omarhe said they were all excited to celebrate Bilha Omare's graduation from nursing school that was supposed to happen in December 2010.

When asked if he had anything to say, Kebabe chose not to speak, but did cry in court.

The judge said that if this happened in Kenya they wouldn't be talking about how long to put him in prison, they would be talking about putting him death.

Danvas Omarhe said that he is trying to get custody of the surviving 3-year-old daughter and bring her back to live in New Jersey with him and other family members.

WCCO-TV's Holly Wagner Reports

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