Police casting ‘wide net' in Investigation into death of Ghanaian actor's wife in Greenbelt

GREENBELT, Md. (FOX 5 DC) - Greenbelt police say they are casting a wide net as they investigate the killing of a Bowie woman who was married to a Ghanaian soap opera star.

Bettie Jenifer, 44, was shot twice - once in the head, and once in the upper body - in the parking lot of an office complex in the 6300 block of Ivy Lane around 5:10 p.m. on Friday.

Jenifer was married to Chris Attoh, who is best known for his role as "Kwame Mensah" in the Nigerian program "Tinsel."

Police say Attoh - who now lives in California - is cooperating with investigators.

His management office said, "He is grieving and has no comment at this stage."

According to court records, Jenifer and her first husband, convicted drug trafficker Kedrick Jenifer, had recently begun divorce proceedings. Kedrick Jenifer is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence after pleading guilty to drug trafficking charges in 2015.

According to police, Jenifer had exited a nearby office building and was walking toward her car when she was approached by a suspect who was armed with a handgun.

Jenifer ran across the parking lot, with the suspect following behind her and firing multiple shots, police say. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

Witnesses told police that the gunman was a middle-aged, black male, who was wearing a black, sleeveless top at the time of the shooting.

He reportedly entered a blue vehicle after the shooting.

"We're casting a wide net, looking at any and all information that could possibly help us apprehend who did this," said Greenbelt Police Department liaison George Mathews.

Mathews noted that Friday's homicide was Greenbelt's first of the year.

"Our investigators do not believe this was random. It was very brazen - it happened in broad daylight in front of multiple witnesses. And that's very concerning, but we do not believe this was a random act," Mathews said.