Burke Killings Lead To Second Conviction For Alexandria Man

BURKE, VA — An Alexandria man was convicted in the second of two trials related to 2016 killings in Burke.

Yohannes Nessibu, 28, of Alexandria, was convicted by a Fairfax County jury of voluntary manslaughter and use of a firearm in commission of a felony. The conviction relates to the killing of Henok Yohannes, 22, whose was found shot dead inside his home in the 6400 block of Blarney Stone Court in Burke on Dec. 22, 2016.

Nessibu had previously been convicted of first-degree murder in an August 2022 trial for the killing of Kedest Simeneh, 22. Simeneh, 22, was found in the backyard in the 9500 block of Cordwood Court in Burke on Dec. 23, 2016.

Both victims were killed during the same incident, according to prosecutors.

"This is a tragic case where two young lives were taken from the community and their families," said Fairfax County Commonwealth's Attorney Steve Descano in a statement. "Nothing can bring the victims back, but I hope that today’s guilty verdict can help the families begin to heal."

According to prosecutors, the defendant and others, including Simeneh, went to buy marijuana from Yohannes on Dec 22, 2016. Prosecutors explained during the trial that Nessibu fatally shot Yohannes twice in the back of the head after an argument over payment. After fleeing the scene, he shot Simeneh later that night, leaving her body at a Burke home.

Prosecutors say Nessibu fled to his native Ethiopia the next morning. A Fairfax County grand jury indicted him in March 2017 on murder and weapons charges in the fatal shootings of the couple, and he was extradited from Ethiopia in 2019.

"Because of the international extradition, this case has gone on for seven years," said Descano. "Our office has never wavered in our commitment to holding Nessibu accountable and seeking a just outcome for the community."

Sentencing is scheduled for June 16 for all of Nessibu's convictions. He could face up to life in prison for the first-degree murder conviction.