It took the suspects two days to gain entry into the home of 72-year-olds Hussein Murray and Linda Murray after the cautious couple turned them away the first time they showed up claiming to be from the gas company looking to investigate a leak.
Oakland County Sheriff Mike Brouchard told the Detroit News it is his belief that the suspects likely followed Hussein home from the local jewelry store he owns, in what they believe was a targeted attempt to rob the jeweler in his upscale home.
Two men have now been arrested in association with the crime after they were captured on the home doorbell camera system wearing fluorescent vests and brandishing fake DTE Energy (a local energy company) paperwork and credentials. They are believed to be the only two men involved.
Carlos Hernandez, 37, was picked up on Saturday in Shreveport, Louisiana and charged the following day with felony murder and two counts of unlawful imprisonment, as detailed by Oakland County, Michigan prosecutors in a press release.
He was also booked for multiple warrants out of Ohio for armed robbery. He was reported to the Caddo Correction Center, according to an arrest statement from the Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office in Shreveport. He is being held at the Caddo County jail.
A second suspect, who has not yet been identified, was taken into custody on Monday, according to the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office in a Facebook post. The department’s fugitive apprehension team found him in Plymouth Township and he was apprehended “without incident,” per the release.
The two suspects made first contact with the Murrays on Thursday night at approximately 10 p.m., claiming they were with DTE and responding to a gas leak, according to a statement from the Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office. At that time, the Murrays did not allow them access to the house.
At approximately 10 a.m. the following morning, the duo returned, this time with fake DTE paperwork. They arrived in a white pickup truck with a DTE sign on its side and orange traffic cones in the bed, per the sheriff’s office. This time, they were allowed inside, with Hussein Murray taking them to the basement.
When the two men came back upstairs, it was without Hussein. They proceeded to ask Linda Murray where the jewelry and money were in the house, per the sheriff’s office release, while also bounding her wrists and ankles with duct tape. The prosecutors office said they “hit her across the face” when she attempted to scream.
After the men had left, Linda was able to free herself and called 911. Responding officers from the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office detailed in a press release finding Hussein’s body in the basement. The release states that “because of the gruesome nature of the injuries, it was not immediately clear if he had been shot or bludgeoned to death.”
The sheriff’s office was able to obtain Ring camera video of the suspects at the couple’s door, and released this footage to the public as part of their efforts to apprehend the two men.
In his release, Sheriff Bouchard urged residents to be wary of anyone showing up at their home unexpectedly and asking to be allowed inside. He encouraged residents “to check with the business or utility and ask if they have workers in the area before allowing them in your home.”
DTE also issued a statement to the community immediately after the murder, urging residents to check the photo ID of anyone claiming to work for the company. “Our hearts go out to the victims of this horrific and tragic event, and we hope the perpetrators are quickly apprehended and brought to justice,” the company said in its statement.
