By Cody Mello-Klein | cmelloklein@alextimes.com

On Monday, a jury convicted Daniel Kankam, 44, an Alexandria business owner, of killing his girlfriend, according to a news release from the Office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney.

Kankam was convicted of murdering Somaya Hussein Ahmed, 35 – an “intimate partner” according to the release – in her South Van Dorn Street apartment on Jan. 11, 2019.

Hussein Ahmed’s roommate found Hussein Ahmed’s body that day and called 911, according to the release. Hussein Ahmed was taken to the medical examiner, who determined that she had died of an intraoral gunshot, meaning the gun had been deep inside her mouth when fired. The medical examiner said at the trial that the wound was atypical of suicide, according to the release.

Hussein Ahmed’s roommate mentioned to police that Hussein Ahmed had been in an intimate, volatile relation- ship with Kankam, a married man and owner of security company K-1 Tactical Security, according to the release. Hussein Ahmed had been Kankam’s employee before the relationship turned romantic, according to the release.

Police seized Hussein Ahmed’s cell phone and found several video clips that were relevant to the case, including one filmed minutes before Hussein Ahmed’s death that showed Kankam, clad in security gear and carrying a holstered firearm, telling Hussein Ahmed, “You should be scared.”

Evidence presented at the trial established that Kankam sent texts from Hussein Ahmed’s phone in an attempt to establish a fake alibi and removed his firearm and a fired cartridge from the scene, according to the release.

Alexandria police interviewed Kankam on Jan. 12, 2019. Kankam denied that he killed Hussein Ahmed, according to the release. After being arrested, Kankam called a family member from jail and told her to get rid of a bag.

APD was alerted and recovered the bag, which contained Kankam’s Glock pistol, a fired cartridge case and the security vest, covered in Hussein Ahmed’s blood, that Kankam had been wearing in the video, according to the release.

At trial, Kankam claimed that he was in Hussein Ahmed’s bathroom at the time of her death. Testifying in his own defense, Kankam claimed that he was unsure if her death was a suicide or the result of an unknown assailant, according to the release.

The jury convicted Kankam and recommended he serve 23 years in prison for first-degree murder and three years for the use of a firearm in the commission of murder. The judge will formally pronounce a sentence at hearing on Nov. 21.