Colorado man in court as trial nears for alleged murder of his wife, Jepsy Amaga Kallungi

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KKTV) - A man accused of killing his wife in 2019 was in El Paso County Court Friday for a hearing ahead of his trial, which is set to start in about four weeks.

Dane Kallungi is charged with first degree murder. He is accused of killing his wife Jepsy Amaga Kallungi, who went missing in March 2019 and has not been heard from or seen since.

“Her family is very lost without her,” said a close friend of Jepsy’s mom, Britney Hartman.

11 News was in the courtroom for Friday’s motions hearing. Lawyers focused on whether or not a detective’s testimony should be allowed in the trial. The defense argued that detective violated Kallungi’s Miranda rights when questioning him earlier on in the case, even after Kallungi said he wanted to wait to talk until he had a lawyer.

The judge ruled that detective testimony will be allowed in the trial, and that Kallungi’s rights were not violated by the detective.

11 News talked with Hartman Friday about her communication with Jepsy’s mom, Margie Amaga. She says, she has been the “boots on the ground” for Margie, helping explain court proceedings, helping Margie apply for U.S. visas, and communicating with the District Attorney’s office.

“She cries a lot on the phone at night with me. She is very devastated,” Hartman said referring to Margie. “The thing that she keeps saying over and over and over is there are people that go to the U.S. for Disney World, but I can’t go watch the trial for my daughter.”

Hartman says Margie has applied for three, if not four U.S. visas, and has been denied. She says it’s doubtful the mother will be in the U.S. in time for the trial, but says they will keep trying.

Copyright 2023 KKTV. All rights reserved.