ARGUS 911

Man sentenced to life in prison for killing ex-girlfriend

Mark Walker
mwalker@argusleader.com
File photo of Janno Kollay Talla of Worthington, Minn., being escorted into Minnehaha County court. He is charged in the killing of Ammuna Gayya on Nov 2, 2015.

A Minnesota man was sentenced to life in prison Monday for stabbing his ex-girlfriend to death in Sioux Falls in 2015.

Janno Kollay Talla was sentenced to life in prison on a charge of first-degree manslaughter and 25 years in prison on an attempted murder charges in the death of Ammuna Annur Gayya.

Talla arrived at Gayya’s apartment in northern Sioux Falls to confront the man she’d recently began seeing.

Judge Doug Hoffman said in court Monday that Talla intended to kill the man by challenging him to a knife-wielding duel to the death.

“(The victim) didn’t accept the challenge, but chose to escape Mr. Talla’s homicidal intentions,” Hoffman said.

The man suffered two stab wounds in the arm. Gayya intervened to protect the man and was fatally stabbed in the chest.

Gayya was taken to the hospital where she died from her injuries.

Authorities found Talla near Worthington and arrested him on murder charges.

Stabbing victim was 'always able to make others laugh'