Varinder Singh, an Indian-origin man, was found guilty of second-degree murder in the death of his sister-in-law Kuljeet Kaur who was stabbed 37 times with an eight-inch kitchen knife in 2022. Singh did not plead guilty and said he was looked down upon by the family of his wife, identified as SK, because of his lower class. He said he was forced to marry Kaur’s sister and the sisters stole the money he saved for buying a new truck. He said on the day of the murder, Kaur threatened him to kill him and when he brought a knife, his wife grabbed and held him from behind and that resulted in a knife fight leading to Kaur’s death.
Singh stabbed Kaur 12 times in her torso and there were stab wounds in other body parts as well. Kaur tried to defend herself. The attack started from their house and spilled onto the streets. Singh went inside to get his phone and continued his attack. He went inside once again to get his shoes and keys and then he fled the house.
Singh fled in a BMW sedan but was apprehended about 45 minutes later near a Raley’s supermarket in Rohnert Park.
On stabbing her again and again, Singh said during the trial that he stabbed Kaur twice out of fear but then blacked out and did not remember what he did next. “I lost my brain at the time and I didn’t know what I was doing,” Singh said through a Punjabi interpreter, the Press Democrat reported.
The jury deliberated on whether it was a premeditated murder.
Sonoma County District Attorney Jason Riehl said Singh had multiple opportunities to calm down but he continued the stabbing. Neighbors came to stop the stabbing but he told them to go away.
Investigators said Singh was a long-haul truck driver who had a bad temper and had threatened to kill family members in the past. They said the killing occurred after Kaur, having learned Singh threatened to attack SK with a hammer, tried to convince her sister not to go with him on an upcoming trip.
