Ann Mary Mathew and Anjana Hari Killed in California One Day After Celebrating Onam With Friend
Ann Mary Mathew and Anjana Hari, two Malayali women from Kerala living in California, were killed allegedly by a close friend — a tragedy that came just one day after the three had gathered to celebrate Onam together, spending the festival in each other's company and watching a movie. The deaths, confirmed by Union Minister Suresh Gopi on August 31, 2026, prompted both Gopi and Kerala Chief Minister VD Satheesan to reach out directly to the victims' families and pledge to work toward repatriating the women's remains to Kerala.
Two Malayali Women Killed in California the Day After Sharing Onam Celebration With Friend
Two Malayali women living in California were killed allegedly by a close friend in what has been reported as a double murder. The killings came the day after the three friends gathered to celebrate Onam, spending the occasion together and also watching a movie as part of the day's celebration. The fact that the victims and the alleged perpetrator had shared the festival just one day before the deaths occurred has made the circumstances particularly difficult for those following the case to comprehend. The double murder, as reported by The South First, happened the day after the Onam celebration the three friends shared in California. All three — the two women who died and the person alleged to have killed them — had been together for the festival celebration and a film, with the killings taking place the following day. The proximity of the celebration and the crime, and the identity of the alleged perpetrator as someone who had participated in the Onam gathering itself, has added weight to an already painful tragedy that has drawn wide attention from the Malayali community in California and beyond. The two women had been close enough to the alleged perpetrator to share a significant festival occasion with him, making the circumstances of their deaths all the more shattering for those who knew them and for the broader diaspora community following developments in the case. [1]
Kerala Leaders Confirm Deaths of Ann Mary Mathew and Anjana Hari, Pledge Repatriation of Remains
The deaths of Ann Mary Mathew and Anjana Hari in California drew a formal response from senior officials in Kerala's government, with Union Minister Suresh Gopi publicly confirming the news on Monday, August 31, 2026. Gopi stated that the government was actively working to arrange the return of the two women's bodies to Kerala, acknowledging the families' need to have their loved ones brought home. Kerala Chief Minister VD Satheesan also reached out to the families directly, speaking with them in the aftermath of the confirmed deaths. The fact that both a Union Minister and the state's Chief Minister personally contacted the families of Ann Mary Mathew and Anjana Hari reflected the seriousness with which Kerala's authorities approached the case. According to NDTV's reporting, Mathew and Hari had celebrated Onam with the close friend who stands accused in their deaths, and also watched a movie together during the celebration — this gathering occurred just one day before the killings. The two women were from Kerala and had been living in the United States when they were killed. The case has been reported as a double murder, with a person described as a close friend of the two women identified as the alleged perpetrator. Repatriation of the women's remains to Kerala was stated as a priority by the government, with both Gopi and the Chief Minister personally engaged with the families in the immediate aftermath of the confirmed deaths. [2]
Sources: [1] The South First · [2] NDTV