Post by Scumhunter on Oct 14, 2024 7:34:31 GMT -5
(Above photo credit: Detroit Free Press website)
From the Detroit Free Press:
An Oakland County man killed Friday in an upscale Rochester Hills neighborhood was identified as 72-year-old Hussein Murray.
The county sheriff's office is still searching for one of two men who were impersonating DTE workers believed to be responsible for the death. The other was taken into custody in Louisiana on Saturday. The Oakland County Medical Examiner ruled the death a homicide, according to a news release from the Oakland County Sheriff's Office.
"Our family is deeply saddened by the loss of my grandfather Hussein. My grandfather was a man with a heart of gold, who treated all those around him with kindness and compassion. He has made a lasting impact with our family and community, and I’m beyond proud to call him my grandfather," grandson Hussein Murray said in a statement to the Free Press.
"I am eternally grateful for the support the community has shown our family in this difficult time. We are also grateful for the Oakland County Sheriff’s Department’s tireless work in seeking justice for my grandfather, and compassion for our grieving process. We are heartbroken by the news of his death, but our family will bond through this with the resolve he has instilled in us by being the man he was," said Murray, who was named after his grandfather.
Murray was found dead in the basement of his home in the 3700 block of Newcastle. His wife called 911. When deputies arrived on the scene, they found that she had been tied up and her hands had been duct taped, the sheriff's office said. She told deputies she thought her husband may have been kidnapped.
The woman told deputies that the two men had came to the home Thursday about a gas leak. They were not let in. They came back on Friday and were allowed into the home. Murray went with the two men into the basement, seemingly to look for the leak, according to the news release.
The 72-year-old woman was briefly in the hospital after the incident but has been released.
Sheriff Michael Bouchard called the incident a "tragic murder" and said, in the news release, that "we will leave no stone unturned seeking the perpetrators of this heinous act."
"I urge them to turn themselves in, because in any event we will find you," Bouchard said, before one suspect was in custody.
The Oakland County Sheriff's Office posted a photo and video footage from a Ring camera of one of the alleged homicide suspects. The video shows a man in a white shirt and yellow vest with orange and blue stripes. The man, wearing a face mark and what appear to be gloves, briefly holds a clipboard with a white paper up to the camera.
"We're DTE. We're checking for gas leaks," the man says in the video. There's another person behind him, in what appears to be a similar vest, in the video posted on the Oakland County Sheriff's Office Facebook page.
Murray was a Wayne County business owner, Bouchard said during a news conference, aired on WXYZ Detroit on Friday. The sheriff's office is unsure about the cause of death because "there was so much blood," he told reporters.
The two men, claiming to be DTE workers, had a white pick up truck with a placard that said DTE, Bouchard said in the TV station video. Based on preliminary information, on Friday Murray went with the men to the basement and the "wife never saw him again." They came upstairs, duct taped her, searched the house for about 20 minutes and left, Bouchard said in the video.
"Based on what I've seen over my career, they may have thought there was valuables in the home due to the business, and were trying to get whatever those valuables were," Bouchard told reporters on Friday.
The sheriff's office is investigating if anything was taken from the home.
Murray owned Gold & Glitter Jewelry in Hamtramck, the Oakland County Sheriff's Office confirmed. Murray's funeral, viewing and commemoration services will be held Sunday, Monday and Oct. 20 at the Islamic Institute of America in Dearborn Heights, according to a post on the business' Instagram and the mosque's Facebook.
His grandson said Murray was an "amazing cook" and always shared fruits and vegetables from his garden. He described him as someone who spread joy and warmth to his family, and who had a smile that "could make you feel like the world was yours."
"The car rides he took me on, the days he let me pretend I was a worker in his store as a child, and the memories of his upbringing in Lebanon he'd share with me when we'd have breakfast together are things I've held onto and things I will continue to hold onto for the rest of my life," he said in an Instagram post.
In a Saturday news release, Bouchard cautioned residents about people unexpectedly showing up at their homes, claiming to be from a utility or business and seeking access. He encouraged residents to check with the utility or business and ask if workers are in the area before permitting them into the home.
DTE Energy on Friday posted a statement about the alleged homicide committed by "imposters representing themselves as DTE employees."
The company warned customers about utility impersonators. The company said if anyone comes to a home or business claiming to be from DTE, to check for a badge with a photo ID. Customers can call 800-477-4747 to confirm. They should keep the door locked while making the call and speak through a locked screen, if needed. If the worker refuses to show their badge, residents can refuse service. They can call 800-477-4747 to confirm whether DTE was scheduled to be in the area or in their home.
DTE will contact customers through a phone call from its call center, email or text message before making a visit. It's rare for DTE employees to need to enter a home, although it does happen. The company says it makes customers aware of any work needed at a home and will try to schedule a time.
DTE customers should know their gas provider, the company said. Although DTE may supply a household's electricity, it may not also supply the gas as well. The only reason a DTE worker would need to enter a home is if a gas meter is inside, which is common in older homes. DTE does not provide residential gas distribution in Rochester Hills. It does operate gas transmission pipelines in the area.
"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," DTE said in the statement.
Anyone with information can call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-SPEAK-UP. Crime Stoppers is offering a reward of up to $2,000 for information leading to an arrest.
www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/oakland/2024/10/12/oakland-county-man-killed-by-men-posing-as-utility-workers-identified/75647196007/
Additional article on case: www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/man-posed-utility-worker-charged-murder-home-invasion-police-hunt-seco-rcna175239
Thoughts? I am placing this case in the national media section because it has been covered on NBC News and other national media. One of the suspects, Carlos Jose Hernandez, has been arrested. However, the search still continues for the second suspect.
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