PONTIAC — On Tuesday, an Oakland County Circuit Court judge sentenced two men to life in prison for killing Arab American jeweler Hussein Murray and robbing his Rochester Hills home after posing as DTE gas workers in the fall of 2024.

During the sentencing hearing, Carlos Hernandez, 38, and Joshua Zuazo, 40, remained silent as Judge Yasmine Poles condemned their actions, describing the pair as “disgusting.”

“One breath of Mr. Murray’s life doesn’t amount to one ounce of your dignity or worth. How dare you.”

Separate juries had convicted Hernandez and Zuazo in October of first degree murder for killing Murray, 72, after restraining and tying him and his wife, Linda, inside their Rochester Hills home.

Because they were convicted of first degree murder, Judge Poles was required to sentence them to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Before the sentences were announced, Murray’s three sons delivered emotional statements describing the devastation the crime inflicted on their family. Moheeb Murray read a powerful message written by his mother, who sat visibly shaken throughout the hearing.

“They have stolen my sunshine,” he read. “They have stolen my happiness. They have stolen my reason for living. They have stolen the love of my life. 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.”

Hussein Murray owned and operated a jewelry store in Hamtramck. He and his wife had been married for nearly 54 years and had three sons, Abdu, Moheeb and Rehif, and 11 grandchildren.

Rehif Murray told the court his father was a kind, warm, brave man. His family has suffered from depression since his father’s death, he said.

“My father was my hero,” he said. “I couldn’t get the idea of his murder out of my head. Whenever I remember him, and that is something that I will never forgive the defendants for, because anytime I remember any of the wonderful things about my father, I also think about his last moments of terror, thinking about how my mother is going to die as well.”

Abdu Murray said Hernandez’s and Zuazo’s actions shattered his mother’s life and her sense of security.

“With one act of trust based on one act of deceit, the lion that protected my mom was slain,” he said. “When they robbed my mom of her husband, they robbed us all. My brothers and I were robbed of our hero, our counselor and just Dad.”

Oakland County Circuit Court Judge Yasmine Poles sentenced Carlos Hernandez and Joshua Zuazo to life in prison for  the murder of Hussein Murray in his home in Rochester Hills on October 11, 2024. Photo by the Detroit News.

How the crime unfolded

According to prosecutors, Hernandez and Zuazo beat Hussein Murray to death and tied up Linda Murray during a violent home invasion on October 11, 2024.

The two men posed as DTE gas company workers to gain access to the Murray home on the 3700 block of Newcastle Street. Investigators believe the suspects had been watching Murray for some time, and that Hernandez visited Gold & Glitter Jewelry — Murray’s jewelry and pawn shop in Hamtramck — more than once while planning the crime.

Carlos Hernandez

They also went to Murray’s Rochester Hills home twice in October 2024, posing as DTE employees. They gained access to the home on the second day, Oct. 11 and went into the basement with Murray to inspect what they claimed was a gas leak, the men returned upstairs without him, according to Linda Murray’s testimony.

She told the court the assailants demanded to know where the safe, cash and jewelry were stored. She explained that there was no home safe and that all jewelry was kept in a bank safe deposit box. The only cash in the home was roughly $300 in her purse and what her husband carried in his pocket.

When she noticed blood on Zuazo’s clothing, she began screaming and calling for her husband, affectionately known as “Abu Abdo.” Hernandez struck her across the face, forced her into a kitchen chair, removed her Apple Watch and took her phone. Zuazo told her that her husband was “sleeping.”

Hernandez then bound her wrists and ankles with duct tape while Zuazo searched the home for valuables.

Linda Murray eventually managed to partially free herself and called 911, believing only that a robbery had occurred. Police arrived and found Hussein Murray’s body bound in the basement.

Joshua Zuazo

Crime scene and autopsy findings

An Oakland County sheriff’s deputy who responded to the 911 call testified that Linda Murray was still bound with duct tape when she opened the door. After freeing her, the deputy searched the home and discovered Murray’s body in the basement, tied with duct tape and plastic zip-ties around his wrists, ankles and mouth. Blood covered the walls and stairway.

The medical examiner concluded that Murray died from severe neck compression, in addition to blunt-force trauma, scalp lacerations and fractures to the jaw.

Investigation and arrests

Investigators identified Hernandez and Zuazo using home surveillance video. The suspects had placed a DTE sign on the side of their vehicle to make their presence appear legitimate. The van used in the crime was later found burned in an alley in Detroit.

Both men lived in Dearborn.

Hernandez was arrested the day after the murder in Louisiana, identified through doorbell camera footage. Some of the stolen items from the Murray home were found inside his vehicle.

Zuazo was arrested three days later during a routine traffic stop in Plymouth Township.

During the October trial, Zuazo — represented by defense attorney Michael McCarthy — claimed he had been misidentified. Hernandez, represented by Paulette Loftin, insisted he never intended to kill Murray and denied participating in the fatal beating. Both defense teams stated they plan to appeal the verdicts.