CrimeAug 12, 2026
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Wife of Man Convicted in Jeweler’s Murder Sentenced for Conspiracy
Amanda Ileana Hernandez is married to Carlos Hernandez, one of two men in prison for the 2024 murder of Michigan jeweler Hussein Murray.
On Wednesday, 34-year-old Amanda Ileana Hernandez was sentenced to prison after pleading no contest to charges of conspiracy and accessory after the fact in the October 2024 murder of Hamtramck, Michigan, jeweler Hussein “Sam” Murray.
Pontiac, Mich.—The wife of a man sentenced to spend the rest of his life in prison for a 2024 home invasion and murder will also spend time behind bars for her alleged knowledge of and involvement in planning the crime.
Amanda Ileana Hernandez, 34, of Lincoln Park, Michigan, pleaded no contest to three felony charges in July and was sentenced this week in Oakland County Circuit Court in Pontiac, Michigan.
Her husband, Carlos Hernandez, is one of two men in prison for the October 2024 murder of Hussein “Sam” Murray, the 72-year-old owner of Gold & Glitter Jewelry in Hamtramck, Michigan.
According to evidence presented at trial, Carlos and Joshua Zuazo posed as utility workers to gain access to Murray’s home and rob it. During the robbery, they murdered Murray and assaulted his wife, Linda Murray.
Separate juries found them guilty of first-degree murder and unlawful imprisonment in October 2025, and in December 2025, they were both sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Amanda was charged later for her role in “planning and concealing” the crime, the Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office said.
Prosecutors pointed to a string of text messages allegedly exchanged between her and her husband in the days and weeks leading up to the murder, as well as Google searches for utility worker ID badges and the address of the Murray home, as proof that Amanda knew about and aided in the plot to invade the Murray home.
The prosecutor’s office specifically noted an exchange between Amanda and Carlos about buying a house with the money netted from the robbery.
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Amanda Ileana Hernandez, 34, of Lincoln Park, Michigan, pleaded no contest to three felony charges in July and was sentenced this week in Oakland County Circuit Court in Pontiac, Michigan.
Her husband, Carlos Hernandez, is one of two men in prison for the October 2024 murder of Hussein “Sam” Murray, the 72-year-old owner of Gold & Glitter Jewelry in Hamtramck, Michigan.
According to evidence presented at trial, Carlos and Joshua Zuazo posed as utility workers to gain access to Murray’s home and rob it. During the robbery, they murdered Murray and assaulted his wife, Linda Murray.
Separate juries found them guilty of first-degree murder and unlawful imprisonment in October 2025, and in December 2025, they were both sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Amanda was charged later for her role in “planning and concealing” the crime, the Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office said.
Prosecutors pointed to a string of text messages allegedly exchanged between her and her husband in the days and weeks leading up to the murder, as well as Google searches for utility worker ID badges and the address of the Murray home, as proof that Amanda knew about and aided in the plot to invade the Murray home.
The prosecutor’s office specifically noted an exchange between Amanda and Carlos about buying a house with the money netted from the robbery.
On July 22, Amanda pleaded no contest to three felony charges: conspiracy to commit home invasion, conspiracy to commit false personation of a public utility worker, and accessory after the fact to a felony.
On Wednesday, Oakland County Circuit Court Judge Nanci J. Grant sentenced Amanda to 57 months (4.75 years) to 20 years on the conspiracy to commit home invasion charge; 1 to 5 years on the accessory after the fact charge; and 1 to 2 years on the impersonation charge, court records show.
“You may have married the wrong person, but you had zero problem making those searches, picking him up, making clear what was going on, and maybe you panicked when you realized it went a way you didn’t think it was going,” Judge Grant said during the sentencing hearing.
“I don’t know how you’re going to live with yourself—you’ll get out eventually—but you are not an innocent victim. You are all in on this.”
It was not immediately clear if the sentences are to be served concurrently or consecutively.
Amanda also was ordered to have no contact with Linda Murray, the Murray family, Zuazo, or her husband Carlos.
She will receive credit for the 197 days she served in jail leading up to her conviction.
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