Kimberly Mankhwala

Spousal fight may be tied to attack, fire

Woman recovering from injuries; man dies from smoke inhalation.

August 19, 2006
By YONIKA WILLIS Tribune Staff Writer

ELKHART -- White towels stained crimson with blood were the only visible signs of what police say might have been a fatal domestic dispute Friday morning. The spot where the towels lay was where 36-year-old Kimberly Mankhwala ran to after having allegedly been stabbed 10 to 15 times by her husband inside their Centennial Drive home, police said.

About 7:20 a.m. Friday, a resident in the Country Acres subdivision alerted police to a stabbing and a possible house fire at 27401 Centennial Drive. Police arrived to find Kimberly Mankhwala lying on a neighbor's lawn and smoke coming from her nearby bi-level home. Firefighters quickly contained the small fire in the home.

Before Kimberly Mankhwala was taken to Elkhart General Hospital, police said, she told them her husband, 51-year-old Ephraim Mankhwala, was inside their home. When authorities did not receive any response from Ephraim Mankhwala by calling or using a public address system, emergency units entered shortly after 9 a.m. and found him dead in the lower-level living area, said Capt. Sean Holmes, commander of the Elkhart County Emergency Services Unit. Elkhart County Coroner John White said Mankhwala died of smoke inhalation. "He had a high carbon monoxide reading," White said. "He had no other injuries, just injuries from the fire." A 3-year-old child and a 15-year-old boy reportedly were inside the home at the time of the stabbing, according to WSBT-TV.

The 15-year-old was treated for minor stab wounds at Elkhart General, said Trevor Wendzonka, of the Elkhart County Sheriff's Department. Kimberly Mankhwala was out of surgery and in recovery at Elkhart General Hospital Friday afternoon, Wendzonka said.

News of Friday's events shocked residents of Country Acres subdivision, who recently implemented a neighborhood watch in an effort to decrease vandalism and thefts in the neighborhood. "I've lived here for 23 years," said neighbor Deb Longcor. "This is way unusual. ... This just goes to show that this stuff crosses all barriers." Longcor's daughter, Erin Longcor, said the neighborhood has "break-ins and kids that come through the neighborhood, but nothing to offset and scare anyone like this." Neighbors said the Mankhwala family had recently moved into the area and seemed friendly. "I'd passed by and they'd always speak," neighbor Paula Mason said. "They're always in the yard cleaning up or out playing with the kids."

The Mankhwala family was in the news in June when 26-year-old Curtis Love received a 58-year jail sentence for murdering Ephraim Mankhwala's son, Vusani "Cy" Mankhwala. A police officer found the body of 17-year-old Vusani on June 30, 2001, near Chase and Main streets, around the corner from the teen's then-Morton Avenue home. The teen was found with multiple stab wounds to his body. That case, which was closed for several years, was re-opened by police in 2005.

UPDATE:

Kimberly L. Mankhwala

Dec. 22, 1969 - Aug. 23, 2006

ELKHART — Kimberly L. (Sidwell) Mankhwala, 36, Elkhart, died unexpectedly Aug. 23, 2006, at Elkhart General Hospital.

She was born Dec. 22, 1969, in Anderson, and resided in Anderson until 1991. She resided in Elkhart for two years and in Goshen for 13 years. She had been an LPN for Americare Nursing Home for 2 1/2 years.

Survivors include her father, William Sidwell and mother, Linda (Bousman) Sidwell, both of Anderson; three children, Brittany A. and husband Robert Ressler of South Bend, and Kipsangi K. Mankhwala and John A. “Drew” Cole II, both of Elkhart; three stepchildren, LaToya Mankhwala of South Bend, and P.J. Mankhwala and Paso Mankhwala, both of Elkhart; a stepgranddaughter, Mimi Mwanza; two sisters and a brother-in-law, Rebecca Sidwell and Tari and Robert Murray, all of Indianapolis; two brothers, Samuel Sidwell of Anderson, and Stephen Sidwell of Elkhart; best friend, Adeeti Awori of Indianapolis; and several aunts, uncles, nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her first husband, John A. Cole; and second husband, Ephraim Mankhwala, on Aug. 18, 2006.

Services will be conducted at 1:30 p.m. Monday at Rozelle-Johnson Funeral Service with the Rev. Loyce Webb of Gospel Light Chapel officiating. Burial will be in Grovelawn Cemetery in Pendleton.

Visitation will be 2 to 6 p.m. Sunday at the funeral home.  Memorial contributions may be given to the family for the care and education of her children.