46-Year-Old Malang Jan Akbari Stabbed His Wife and Fled — Shocking Details Emerge

A frantic midday phone call set Jefferson City authorities racing toward a scene that would soon unravel into a homicide investigation, a missing child alert, and a trail of clues stretching across central Missouri.

Police say the call did not come from a neighbor or passerby, but from inside the family itself. An adult son dialed 911 shortly after noon, reporting that something unthinkable had happened in his parents' home and that his youngest sibling could not be found.

By the time officers arrived, the gravity of the situation was already apparent. What began as a welfare check quickly escalated into a far more serious criminal case.

A Son's 911 Call

According to court documents cited by WAFB, at 12:25 pm on Monday, January 12, 2026, the adult son told dispatchers that his father had called him moments earlier and confessed to killing his mother, saying, "I killed your mom, and I left the house."

When he rushed home, he found her bleeding on the kitchen floor. Emergency responders pronounced the woman dead at the scene. The son also reported that his 18-month-old sibling, who had been home with their mother, was missing. He told police his father was likely driving the family vehicle, a blue 2015 Honda Odyssey.

The information quickly became a central focus of the search and guided the next phase of the investigation.

Missing Child Leads to AMBER Alert

With a toddler unaccounted for and a suspect believed to be on the move, authorities issued a statewide AMBER Alert for the child and the Honda Odyssey.

Within hours, state officials located the vehicle traveling west on Highway 50 near Sedalia. The driver was taken into custody without incident, police said. Investigators later learned through family members that the child was no longer with him.

Officers soon confirmed that the 18-month-old had been dropped off safely at a relative's home before the suspect left Jefferson City.

What Investigators Say Happened Inside the Home

With the child located and the suspect in custody, detectives turned their attention back to the events that unfolded earlier that day. After his arrest, detectives interviewed the suspect with the help of an interpreter. According to investigators, he admitted to killing his wife following an argument earlier that day.

Court documents state that he told police he believed his wife was cheating on him and tampering with his food. During the confrontation, he allegedly grabbed a knife, and after she began screaming, he stabbed her.

Investigators say he told them he laid her on the floor, placed a pillow under her head, and remained with her as she bled. He then picked up the youngest child, said a prayer, and left the residence.

Police also allege that he called his adult son and several other relatives after the stabbing to tell them what he had done and to ask them to check on his wife, per the court document.

"I loved her. I sacrificed everything for her. I made a mistake. I do regret this. There was no other option for me," he told detectives, according to court documents cited by People.

Charges and Attorney's Statement

As details of the alleged confession emerged, authorities formally identified the suspect as 46-year-old Malang Jan Akbari. Akbari has been booked into the Cole County Jail on multiple felony charges. They include first-degree murder, first-degree endangering the welfare of a child, unlawful use of a weapon, and armed criminal action.

In a statement to People, his attorney, David Moen, said his client is "innocent until proven guilty."

Moen added that he entered a not-guilty plea on Akbari's behalf "based upon [Akbari's] mental condition," which he described as "severely impaired." The attorney also said Akbari served in the Afghan Army for many years and sustained numerous injuries during that time, noting that the family moved to the Jefferson City area about four years ago.

"He and his family have a lot of friends in this town, a lot of good connections," Moen told People, before asking for prayers for the family, "especially the children who lost their mother."

What Comes Next

With Akbari now formally charged, the case is moving into the next phase of the legal process. Court records show that Akbari is scheduled for a bond review on Wednesday, January 21, 2026, followed by a preliminary hearing on Thursday, February 19.

As the legal process unfolds, investigators say the case remains centered on the events inside the family's kitchen and the swift actions of an adult son whose 911 call first alerted authorities to the crime.

As the court dates approach, the case continues to reverberate beyond the courtroom, leaving a family fractured and a community grappling with the sudden violence that unfolded behind closed doors.

While prosecutors prepare to present their evidence and the defense raises questions about Akbari’s mental state, investigators say the sequence of events on that January afternoon, from a son's urgent phone call to a statewide AMBER Alert, remains central to understanding how a domestic dispute escalated into a fatal crime.