Woman Crashes Her Own Funeral After Her Husband Tries To Have Her Killed

A woman reportedly crashed her own memorial service to confront her husband who tried to have her killed.

About one year ago, Noela Rukundo left her home in Melbourne, Australia to go to her stepmother's funeral in her native Burundi, Africa, the BBC reports.

She said she was sleeping in her hotel room when she received a phone call from her husband, Balenga Kalala, who was back in Australia.

He allegedly told her to go outside to escape the crushing heat of her room.

Noela reportedly said,

I opened the gate and I saw a man coming towards me. Then he pointed the gun on me. He just told me, 'Don't scream. If you start screaming, I will shoot you. They're going to catch me, but you? You will already be dead.'

She said a scarf was put over her face before she was taken to a building and tied to a chair.

Several armed men then informed her her husband, the father of three of her children, hired them to kill her.

Noela didn't believe them, so they called Kalala.

She instantly recognized his voice when he told the men, "Kill her."

Noela described the moment, reportedly saying,

I felt like my head was going to blow up. Then they described for him where they were going to chuck the body.

However, the gang leader had a surprise for Noela after he finished his call with Kalala.

He allegedly told her his gang does not kill women and children.

The leader, instead, made a second call to Kalala to ask for an additional 3,400 Australian dollars (about $2,400) for the murder, and Kalala apparently complied.

Noela was freed after being held prisoner for two days, the BBC reports.

The gang left her on the side of the road and gave her a memory card containing numerous conversations with Kalala to be used as evidence.

The gang reportedly told her,

We just want you to go back, to tell other stupid women like you what happened. You must learn something: You people get a chance to go overseas for a better life. But the money you are earning, the money the government gives to you, you use it for killing each other!

In February of last year, Noela called the pastor of her church in Australia and was back home three days later.

She soon learned Kalala spread the word his wife died in an accident, and he was apparently taking donations from mourners.

Noela arrived at her home to find Kalala hosting what seemed to be a memorial service with numerous guests.

She reportedly said,

I stood just looking at him. He was scared, he didn't believe it. Then he starts walking towards me, slowly, like he was walking on broken glass. He kept talking to himself and when he reached me, he touched me on the shoulder. He jumped.

Kalala apologized, but Noela called the police, who detained her husband.

She reportedly made a phone call to Kalala a few days later and recorded him confessing the reason he wanted her dead.

He apparently thought she was on the verge of leaving him for another man, which Noela said was not true.

In December 2015, Kalala was sentenced to nine years in prison, according to BBC.

Now, alone with eight children (she has five kids from a previous relationship), Noela promised to "stand up like a strong woman" and start a new life.

She also hopes to escape the nightmares she has on a regular basis of her husband's chilling command:

Kill her, kill her.

Citations: Spared by the hitmen with principles (BBC)