Men posing as DTE employees who killed Rochester Hills jeweler sentenced to life

ROCHESTER HILLS — Two men who were convicted of murdering a man in his Rochester Hills home last fall after posing as DTE workers were sentenced to life in prison without parole.

Joshua Zuazo and Carlos Hernandez, both of Dearborn, were convicted of first-degree felony murder and two counts of unlawful imprisonment in separate trials Oct. 3 for their roles in last year’s murder of 73-year-old Hussein “Sam” Murray.

On Dec. 9, Oakland County Sixth Circuit Court Judge Judge Yasmine Poles sentenced both men to life without parole for felony murder and 228 months to 80 years for unlawful imprisonment.

“Rarely does the court see this level of depravity, this level of arrogance and greed, because that’s what that was all based on,” Poles said during the sentencing. “You could care less about a man’s life in order for you to fulfill the fantasy of the life that you wanted.”

“I hope that whatever those last words that he said to you, or whatever last moment he looked at you, haunts you for the rest of your life.”

Prior to the sentencing, Moheed Murray, one of Hussein Murray’s three sons, read what Murray’s widow, Linda Murray, wrote about the loss of her husband.

“They have stolen my sunshine. They have stolen my happiness. They have stolen my reason for living. They have stolen the love of my life. The world is darker now without the love of my life, without my companion of 54 years. The plans we made will never come true. The sadness and tears will never end. I want to scream. I want to yell. I want to throw things against the wall, but all I can do is keep it inside for the rest of my life.”

Rehif Murray said his father was kind, warm and brave, adding that “his life was stolen.”

“He was the rock that our entire family could depend on,” he said.

Abdu H. Murray, the eldest son, also spoke, stating that Zuazo and Hernandez’s actions “shattered my mom’s life and sense of security.”

“You know, my dad was larger than life. He was generous to a fault. He was strong as an ox and he was as brave as a lion. And with one act of trust — based on one act of deceit, planned deceit — the lion that protected my mom was slain,” Abdu Murray said. “Carlos Hernandez and Joshua Zuazo robbed my mom of her lifelong companion, her husband of 54 years. They snatched away his grandkids’ futures of seeing him light up a room at their graduations, at their weddings, at the births of their kids.”

Zuazo, 40, and Hernandez, 38, declined to make statements to the court during the sentencing.

Authorities say Hernandez and Zuazo, posing as DTE workers, went to Hussein and Linda Murray’s home on Newcastle Drive Oct. 11, 2024, claiming they needed to investigate a gas leak.

Murray, 73, who owned a jewelry store in Hamtramck and a pawn shop, escorted the two men into his home and into the basement.

Linda Murray, Hussein Murray’s wife, testified that Hernandez came back upstairs without her husband and asked her where her jewelry, safe and cash were.

Zuazo, she said, was close behind, coming upstairs seconds later. Linda Murray said she then inquired about the whereabouts of her husband.

“Zuazo tells me, ‘He’s sleeping,’ and I notice blood on his vest, and I start screaming,” she said, adding that Hernandez then hit her in the face to cover her mouth.

She further testified that Hernandez bound her ankles and wrists with duct tape while Zuazo ransacked the house, looking for valuables.

The two men, she said, fled the scene with her cellphone, car keys, cash and some of her jewelry. However, she was able to free herself enough to call 911 on the house phone.

Oakland County Deputy Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Shauna Bryan testified in court that Murray, whose hands and legs were bound with duct tape and zip ties, was severely beaten. His autopsy showed he suffered multiple blunt force injuries to the head and neck, including a broken jaw and two fractures in a U-shaped neck bone called the hyoid. Bryan determined the primary cause of death was “neck compression,” or sustained pressure on his neck. The manner of death, she said, was a homicide.

The prosecution presented evidence tying the defendants to the crime, including duct tape and zip ties matching those used to restrain Murray, text messages, surveillance footage, DNA found on items at the scene and in the basement, and eyewitness testimony from Linda Murray.

Following the sentencing, Oakland County Prosecutor Karen D. McDonald said Hernandez and Zuazo will “spend their remaining days behind bars for their reprehensible actions.”

“Sam Murray was beloved by friends and family. Linda Murray continues to suffer from the trauma of that horrible day. While we can never repair the damage done that day, I hope this sentence provides the Murray family with a measure of justice,” McDonald said in a statement.

Zuazo’s attorney, Michael McCarthy, and Hernandez’s attorney, county public defender Paulette Loftin, said they had no comments at press time.