Daily Breaking True Crime Briefing
As of: September 11, 2026 (evening ET)
Scope: Worldwide sweep, last ~24 hours preferred; major developments stretched to ~48. Milpitas / San José, Belconnen.

Santa Clara prosecutors charged Anila Baby with two murders after linking an Aug. 28 San José strangling and stabbing to a Milpitas parking-lot killing about ninety minutes later. In Canberra, newly released court papers lay out the DNA, CCTV and July undercover operation behind the murder and arson charges against Jack Henry Curtin over Kylee McHugh’s death in Belconnen.

Milpitas: Two Friends Killed Same Morning

Anila Baby, 32, of Milpitas, was arraigned Thursday in Santa Clara County and ordered held without bail on two murder counts. Prosecutors say on Aug. 28 she strangled and stabbed Ann Mary Mathew, 39, inside Mathew’s Linda Vista Street home in San José, then about ninety minutes later accelerated an SUV into Anjana Hari in the Mill Creek Apartments parking lot in Milpitas and drove off.

Milpitas officers found Baby minutes later in a Walgreens lot, injured, incoherent, blood on her arms and legs. San José detectives later tied her to Mathew’s house through cellphone location data, a sandal match on deleted surveillance clips, and a bloodstain on her pants that matched Mathew. Deputy DA Marisa McKeown told the court both women were mothers and friends of the accused. Next date Nov. 17. Baby is presumed innocent.

Investigators say an unexpected visitor arrived at Mathew’s door; her husband found her strangled and stabbed, and video from the house had been deleted during the attack, though sandals belonging to Baby were left outside. About 90 minutes later Hari was called to the parking lot of her Mill Creek apartment complex in Milpitas, where prosecutors say the driver accelerated into her without braking, then hit several parked cars. Police say Baby was covered in blood with facial injuries when arrested. “These families were best friends and want answers,” a prosecutor said. No motive has been given. She is due to enter a plea Nov. 17 and is presumed innocent.

Sources:

The Independent: Woman accused of killing her two best friends
KTVU: Anila Baby accused of killing friends
Los Angeles Times: Blood-stained California woman stabbed one victim, drove over another in double killing, police say
ABC7 San Francisco: Anila Baby accused of killing her 2 best friends in San Jose and Milpitas on same day
KTVU: Anila Baby accused of killing friends in San Jose, Milpitas

Belconnen: Undercover Sting on McHugh Death

ACT court documents released Friday detail how text threats, DNA that couldn’t exclude Jack Henry Curtin, 27, CCTV placing him near Osborne Place around 3:30 and 4:30 a.m. on May 18, and a July undercover operation led to murder and arson charges in the death of Kylee McHugh, 46.

Firefighters pulled McHugh from her burning Wallcliffe Flats unit that morning. The pathologist found blunt-force injuries to the head and neck and no carbon monoxide. She was dead before the fire. Investigators say five fire seats included pour patterns of ignitable liquid. During the sting Curtin allegedly described how to “bash them and choke them.” Arrested Monday in Fyshwick, he made no admissions in the formal interview and has entered no plea. Remanded; back in October. He is presumed innocent.

Police say Curtin made admissions to undercover officers in July but none in his formal interview, the ABC reports. Kylee McHugh, 46, was found in her burning Belconnen unit; police allege he killed her and set the fire to hide it. He was refused bail and is presumed innocent.

Sources: