Latest / Murder Files Unsealed / Fake DTE Workers Charged with Murder and Home Invasion

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Fake DTE Workers Charged with Murder and Home Invasion · Murder Files Unsealed

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: You know, when you requested this deep dive into the
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  murder of Hussain Murray, I have to admit the location
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  it really struck me. Rochester Hills, Michigan. It's not really
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  the first place you think about when you think about
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  violent crime.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, it's a fascinating thing about this case, isn't it
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  Like the fact that it happened in a seemingly safe,
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  affluent community like Rochester Hills. It kind of shatters that illusion,
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  you know, that we all have sometimes that it can't
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  happen here. But as we'll see, vulnerability, it doesn't care
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  about your zip code.
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  Speaker 1: Okay, so let's rewind for a second and set the
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  scene a little bit. Yeah, we're talking July twenty twenty four,
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  Quitet neighborhood in Rochester Hills. Husain Murray, successful seventy two
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  year old businessman, found murdered in his basement, his wife
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  tragically bound with duct tape and left to discover his body.
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  The details were brutal, to say the least. I mean,
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  even seasoned investigators were just shocked by just a level
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  of violence.
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  Speaker 2: And that's something we need to unpack. I think that
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  sheer brutality, you know, it wasn't just about silencing the victim.
• 1:00
  There was this element of rage and control. It points
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  to a potential modive beyond just robbery. Right, makes you
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  think what could drive these perpetrators to such extremes.
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  Speaker 1: Right, and when you think about how they even got in,
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  two men posing as DTE Energy employees using this pretense
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  of a gas leak to get into the Murray's house, Like,
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  that's a classic tactic, preying on our trust and authority figures.
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  Speaker 2: And what's scary is this wasn't just some spur of
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  the moment decision. Our sources and remember that includes news articles,
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  statements from the Oakland County Sheriff's office, even security footage.
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  It reveals that the perpetrators actually tried to get in
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  the night before the murder. Oh wow, same gas leak story,
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  but the Murrays turned them away.
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  Speaker 1: Wow, that's another level like premeditation. So they specifically targeted
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  this couple. They're willing to play the long game.
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  Speaker 2: It makes you think where they like watching the house,
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  learning their routine. It's a chilling thought, right, and it
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  makes you think this is the work of more seasoned criminals.
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  We're not talking about opportunistic thieves. Here. This was calculated,
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  deliberate and well utterly ruthless.
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  Speaker 1: And speaking of chilling, we actually have descriptions from witnesses
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  and even security footage of one of the suspects ringing
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  the doorbell. Can you imagine being that neighbor seeing that
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  after the fact, Yeah, knowing what happened, Right, he's just
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  standing there dressed like a normal utility worker, clipboard in hand.
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  Speaker 2: And that's exactly what's so unsettling. The suspect, who we
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  know now is Carlos Hernandez, was playing a part costume
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  props to gain the trust of his victims.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, the footage is unsettled. He even says something like
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  we're dte just checking for gas leaks, like even flashes
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  some papers on his clipboard. It just goes to show
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  how easily we can be disarmed, you know, by appearances
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  or that illusion of normalcy.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, it's almost like they knew how to blend in,
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  how to look the part, you know, so people would
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  let their guard down. It makes you wonder how many
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  other people might have fallen for that, right, And that's
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  a question that investigators, I think grapple with all the time.
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  For every Carlos Hernandez that gets caught. How many others
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  are out there using those same tactics. It's disturbing.
• 3:02
  Speaker 1: Yeah. Speaking of Hernandez, they quickly uncovered some unsettling details
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  about his past. Turns out he was already one at
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  Olhio for armed robbery. Wow, this wasn't his first.
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  Speaker 2: Rodeo exactly, and that's important. Hernandez is prior record. It
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  suggests a pattern, right, criminal behavior, comfort with violence, willingness
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  to use force. This wasn't just a one time lapse
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  in judgment. This was a career criminal.
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  Speaker 1: Which makes you wonder, you know, were they targeting mister
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  Murray specifically m because of his business dealings or was
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  this more about, you know, like they saw an opportunity
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  an older couple, affluent area.
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  Speaker 2: It's a good question and one that investigators would be
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  very interested in. Statistically speaking, older adults are often seen
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  as more vulnerable, less likely to resist potentially more valuable
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  items in their homes.
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  Speaker 1: It's awful to think about, you know, anyone being targeted
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  for those reasons, litt alone seniors. But I mean you're right,
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  criminals they look for the path of police resistance, right,
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  and that's.
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  Speaker 2: Why it's so important to understand their mindset. If we
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  can figure out how they think, we can make ourselves
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  less appealing targets. Now, in this case, it wasn't just Hernandez.
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  Remember there was a second suspect, joshuas Wazo, who was
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  caught in Michigan.
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  Speaker 1: Right, and Suazo's past raised some red flags too. I
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  mean they denied him bail because of his criminal history,
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  so clearly they weren't taking any chances with this guy.
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  Speaker 2: No, and that denial of bail says a lot about
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  the danger that he posed, that they perceived he posed
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  to the community. The charges against both men, murder and
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  unlawful imprisonment are incredibly serious, and that denial just suggests
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  that there was a strong possibility in their minds of
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  flight risk or further criminal activity.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, and you mentioned that unlawful imprisonment charge. It really
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  makes you think about the terror that missus Murray must
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  have gone through, being restrained, fearing for her life, and
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  then to have to discover her husband's body. I can't imagine.
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  Speaker 2: No, it's a stark reminder of the trauma, you know,
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  the invisible scars. Victims carry those long after the headline's fade.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, It's easy to get caught up in the details
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  of the perpetrators and you know, the investigation and everything,
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  but we can't forget about the human cost, right, Yeah,
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  the impact on missus Murray, the family, the entire community.
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  It's immeasurable.
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  Speaker 2: Really, you're right behind the statistics behind the news stories.
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  These are real people. Their lives are changed forever because
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  of this.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, this case is about so much more than just
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  a crime. It's about, you know, the vulnerability we all face,
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  the tactics these criminals use, and the importance of being
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  aware of being prepared. You know, it's easy to hear
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  a story like this and think, well, that's awful, but
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  that could never happen to me. But these tactics, the impersonation,
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  exploiting our trust, it's more common than we think, right
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  it is.
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  Speaker 2: And this wasn't some you know, random act. This was planned,
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  a home invasion, and it's something that happens unfortunately, way
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  too often.
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  Speaker 1: So how do we protect ourselves without you know, living
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  in fear, Because it's got to be a balance, right,
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  being aware but not afraid to answer your front door.
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  Speaker 2: I think the key is instead of fear informed caution,
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  h we need tools knowledge, so we can reduce our risk.
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  Speaker 1: Okay, So, like, what what's one thing people can do
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  right now to feel safer?
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  Speaker 2: Verify? Always verify if someone comes to your door saying
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  they're from, you know, a utility company or whatever, don't
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  be afraid to ask for ID, right, and don't just
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  glance at it. Really look company logo, photo, ID number,
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  make sure it all looks right.
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  Speaker 1: It seems so simple, but we just we take their
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  word for it, especially if you're in a uniform.
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  Speaker 2: Exactly and a legit employee. They're not going to be offended.
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  They deal with this all the time. In fact, they
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  probably appreciate it. You can even call the company just
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  to be sure they've got someone in your area.
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  Speaker 1: That's a good point. What about home security systems? I'm
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  guessing those help deter this kind of.
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  Speaker 2: Thing absolutely if they can see it. Cameras, alarms, even
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  a beware of dog sign makes your house less appealing, right,
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  criminals one easy, that's the whole point. So a security
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  system says this homeowner, they're not.
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  Speaker 1: Messing around, and ounce of prevention is worth a pound.
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  Speaker 2: Of cure exactly. But also beyond the stuff, there's just
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  us we have to trust our gut. If something feels weird,
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  the person, the story, anything, it's okay to say no.
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  You don't have to let anyone in.
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  Speaker 1: It's tough though, we're told to be polite, don't want
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  to offend, But you're saying it's okay to put our
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  safety first.
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  Speaker 2: Yes, absolutely, and that decision in a split second, to
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  trust yourself, that can make all the difference.
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  Speaker 1: This has been a tough one but important, the Rochester
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  Hills case. It reminds us that these criminals, they're smart,
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  They adapt and they use our trust against us, and.
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  Speaker 2: We can be smarter knowing their methods, being aware of
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  what's around us, trusting our instincts. That's how we reduce
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  the risk, a safer world for everyone.
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  Speaker 1: This case was awful, just a tragedy, but if we
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  can learn from this, if we can do things to
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  protect ourselves, our families, our communities, then maybe something good
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  can come from it.
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  Speaker 2: I agree. The point isn't to be afraid, it's to
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  be aware, and that awareness sometimes that's everything.
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  Speaker 1: And on that note, we'll leave you with this. Think
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  about your own habits, your safety, anything you do differently,
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  Conversations to have with your family because Ultimately, it's on us.
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  Our safety is our responsibility. Stay safe out there, everyone,