US lawyers on Monday walked out on a Kenyan man, Obadiah Kinara, who had been in the crosshairs of a trial over the death and secret burial of his wife.
The setback appears to bring a fresh twist to an order issued last Thursday by a Texas court for the exhumation of the wife, Dorothy Ongera.
The exhumation had been requested by the deceased's father, David Ongera, who spoke of grey areas that a fresh autopsy would address before conducting a "decent send-off" for her.
The lawyers cited conflict of interest as the reason for abandoning their client. The attorneys from Ali Croker’s law firm made the application on Friday to back down at the Tarrant county probate court.
In return, the court said the law firm had provided compelling reasons to support its withdrawal application.
“Pursuant to Rule 10 of the Texas Rules of Civil Procedure, Ali Crocker files this motion for withdrawal of attorney as attorney in charge for Obadiah Kinara, defendant,” the judge Brooke Allen stated in a ruling.
Ongera's body was found in a bathtub in the couples' house in December 2020.
Matters on exhumation were to be heard on Monday were it not for the withdrawal of the attorneys.
The withdrawal now means the court would first have to sit again to determine the exhumation order in the absence of the defence lawyers.
Earlier, a superior court in the state had dismissed an appeal by Kinara.
The court ordered a lower court to go ahead and conduct a hearing to determine the next steps on the exhumation and handling of Ong’era’s remains.
Kinara still resists attempts at the exhumation, saying the plaintiff lacks the legal backing required of him.
(Edited by Bilha Makokha)
