Trial is scheduled for two men accused of murdering a jewelry store owner in his Rochester Hills home.
Jury selection is set to start Sept. 22 in Oakland County Circuit Court for the trial of Carlos Hernandez, 39 of Dearborn and Joshua Zuazo, 38, of Dearborn, accused of killing Hussein Murray last October and binding his wife with duct tape elsewhere in the home. They reportedly gained access to the home by posing as DTE workers investigating a gas leak.
Judge Yasmine Poles, who will preside over the trial, recently denied a request by Hernandez to have a trial separate from Zuazo. Court records show Hernandez plans to appeal that decision.
Murray, 72, was found dead Oct. 11, 2024 in the basement of his Rochester Hills home on Newcastle Street. Murray’s wife, Linda Murray, had been restrained with duct tape but managed to free herself and call 911; she initially told deputies she believed her husband had been kidnapped.
Murray’s jaw and neck bones had been broken, and he had cuts and bruises on his head, according to testimony from an Oakland County medical examiner at a preliminary exam in December.
Murray was the owner of Gold and Glitter Jewelry in Hamtramck. Investigators have said it’s believed Murray was targeted in connection with his business.
Hernandez and Zuazo are charged with homicide-felony murder and two counts of unlawful imprisonment. They’re held in the Oakland County Jail, denied bond.
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