Houston woman waits more than 7 years for sister's accused killer to stand trial for murder

Houston woman's journey for justice for her sister's murder

Maysha Talat says she's lost faith in the criminal justice system as it's been nearly a decade since her sister's murder and the accused killer has had his case reset in court more than 40 times. FOX 26's Randy Wallace speaks with Talat about the long-awaited trial scheduled for 2023.

HOUSTON - Maysha Talat says she's lost faith in the criminal justice system and who could blame her?

She was just 17 when she found her 23-year-old sister, Ayesha, murdered on Mother's Day 2015.

"The door is blocked by her body, so I have to move her over," Maysha said. "I see a pool of blood she's only in a T-shirt and the T-shirt is up to here on her and her throat is slashed."

Police quickly arrested 38-year-old Kyankun Nyemah, Ayesha's neighbor, and charged him with murder. He's been free from jail on a $30,000 bond for more than seven years. Since 2015, he's had his case reset in court more than 40 times.

"I don't feel safe knowing that criminals like this can walk free after posting 3000 dollars to bond out of jail that is heartbreaking," Maysha said.

In honor of her Ayesha, Maysha became an esthetician as it was her older sister's dream. "I really believe it was my responsibility to fulfill that for her," Maysha said.

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What's more heartbreaking for Maysha, is what seems to be a never-ending journey to justice.

"I thought this would be handled in the first two or three years," she said. "And then five years comes along and I'm incredibly confused."

Even though Hurricane Harvey and COVID were years away, Maysha says those are only some of the excuses she heard from prosecutors as to why the trial is so delayed.

She says she mostly blames 179th Criminal District Court Judge Ana Martinez whose been the judge in that court for almost two years now.

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"I want to ask her why she doesn't care about justice for me and my sister for my family," Maysha said.

Now the trial is scheduled to begin Feb. 23, 2023 and Maysha says she's not going to hold her breath.

"I don't trust a word they say," she said. "I feel like they've been doing this for years why would I trust we are going to trial February 23rd when they had me convinced, we would go to trial next week."

We've yet to hear back from the message we left with Judge Martinez and the DA's office declined to comment.

Crime and Public Safety Houston Harris County