Why Australia withdrew Quincy Timberlake’s murder charge

The Australian prosecution service withdrew the murder charge against Quincy Timberlake, husband to former KTN news anchor Esther Arunga. This surprising decision comes after Timberlake pleaded guilty in the tragic death of his 3-year-old son.

Originally slated for trial this week in the Brisbane Supreme Court, Timberlake avoided facing a trial by judge only, which has been vacated.

As a result, Timberlake’s sentencing was scheduled for September 29, following his acceptance of a guilty plea for manslaughter. The charge of manslaughter in Australia carries a maximum penalty of 25 years imprisonment in the Supreme Court. However, the duration of Timberlake’s sentence remains uncertain due to pretrial discussions revealing his diagnosis of psychosis and schizophrenia.

Timberlake has already spent nearly a decade behind bars since his arrest three months after his son’s tragic death. Timberlake and his wife, Esther Arunga, claimed that their son had sustained fatal injuries from a fall down the stairs.

Arunga later revised her statement confessing that Timberlake struck the minor in the stomach and threw him against a wall.

Consequently, Arunga faced conviction as an accessory to manslaughter, while Timberlake was confronted with a murder charge. She received a 10-month prison sentence but was immediately granted parole.

Throughout the investigation, no evidence surfaced to indicate that Arunga had harmed her son. However, Timberlake told authorities he believed his son was possessed by evil spirits residing within his stomach.

Timberlake had relocated of his family to Australia following an unsuccessful attempt to launch a presidential campaign in Kenya in 2010.