Two Arrested in Home Invasion Murder of 72-Year-Old Detroit Jeweler

The men allegedly posed as employees of a local energy company to gain entry to Hussein Murray’s home and then killed him in the basement.

Lauren McLemore lauren.mclemore@nationaljeweler.com

Two men have been arrested and one of them charged for allegedly posing as energy company workers “checking for gas leaks” to enter the suburban Detroit home of Hussein Murray and then murdering the 72-year-old jeweler in the basement and stealing valuables from the home.

Rochester Hills, Mich.—The Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office has charged one of two suspects arrested in connection with the home invasion murder of a 72-year-old Detroit jewelry store owner late last week.

According to the sheriff’s office, Hussein Murray, owner of Gold & Glitter Jewelry in Hamtramck, Michigan, was killed in his Rochester Hills home on Friday, allegedly murdered by two men posing as employees of local energy company DTE, claiming they were there to check for gas leaks.

While in the home, the men also imprisoned Murray’s wife, also 72 years old, who called 911 after the home invaders left.

When deputies arrived, they found her bound at the wrists and ankles with duct tape and located Murray’s body in the basement.

A law enforcement official told local reporters that he believes the two suspects targeted the Murray home because Murray was a jeweler, and they thought there would be money and jewelry inside.

The Oakland County Medical Examiner ruled Murray’s death a homicide. However, because of “the gruesome nature of the injuries,” the cause of death was not immediately clear, the sheriff’s office said.

The first suspect, 37-year-old Carlos Jose Hernandez of Dearborn, Michigan, has been charged with felony murder and two counts of unlawful imprisonment, the Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office said in a news release.

“This was a gruesome attack on an elderly couple in their home,” Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald said in the release. “I have authorized the highest charge, which carries a mandatory life without parole sentence for this brutal crime.”

Hernandez was arrested during a traffic stop while traveling along Interstate 49 in Shreveport, Louisiana, on Saturday.

Following his arrest, Hernandez was transported to the Caddo Correction Center, where he was booked for the homicide warrant, as well as for multiple warrants out of Ohio for armed robbery.

He is being held in Caddo Parish, Louisiana, but the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office said it plans to extradite him to Michigan.

The other suspect, who has not been named, was arrested during a traffic stop Monday afternoon, Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard said in a Facebook post.

Bouchard added that the suspect had been traveling in Plymouth Township, a western suburb of Detroit about 45 miles from Rochester Hills.

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The invasion at the Murray’s home in suburban Detroit began unfolding last Thursday evening.

Around 10 p.m. on Thursday, two men dressed as DTE workers approached the doorstep of Murray’s home in the 3700 block of Newcastle Drive.

Murray and his wife spoke to the men through the home’s Ring video camera but denied them entry, and the men said they would return the next day.

They came back around 10 a.m. on Friday.

One man was wearing yellow vest with orange and blue stripes along with a respirator mask and what appear to be gloves. The man behind him appeared to be wearing a similar vest.

He held a clipboard with a white paper up to the home’s Ring video camera, stating, “We’re DTE. We’re checking for gas leaks,” as shown in recovered Ring footage released by the sheriff’s office on Friday.

Upon entering the home, the men produced a piece of paper purportedly from DTE, which Murray signed before leading them to the basement, the prosecutor’s office said.

They came back up and asked his wife where the money and jewelry were. They duct-taped her wrists and ankles, and when she screamed, Hernandez hit her in the face, according to the prosecutor’s office.

The men searched the house and left with Murray’s wife’s phone and watch. The sheriff’s office is investigating if anything else was taken from the home.

“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 local news on Friday.

The suspects fled the scene in an older model white pickup truck with a DTE sign on the side, which, Bouchard told local news the sheriff’s office located on the day of the crime, finding it unoccupied and severely damaged by fire.

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DTE has released a statement with tips to help customers to identify impersonators, encouraging them to request ID from workers before allowing them inside.

“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 energy company said.

Funeral services for Murray took place Oct. 13 and 14 at the Islamic Institute of America in Dearborn Heights, Michigan, followed by a burial on Oct. 14 at United Memorial Gardens in Plymouth, Michigan.

Another commemoration service will take place at the mosque on Oct. 20.

Murray’s grandson, who shares his name due to a family tradition of the first son in the next generation taking the grandfather’s name, shared memories of his grandfather in an Instagram post.

   
  
 


 
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A post shared by Hussein Murray (@husseinmurray)

“It is hard to put into words the level of generosity and kindness that my grandfather possessed. A man who spread so much warmth and joy to everyone in his family, and someone whose smile could make you feel like the world was yours,” he wrote.

“I am so proud to have been your grandson, and may Allah grant you the most beautiful garden in Jannah.”