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Oakland County man killed by men posing as utility workers identified

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Oakland County man killed by men posing as utility workers identified

(This story has been updated to add new information.)

An Oakland County man killed Friday in an upscale Rochester Hills neighborhood has been identified as 72-year-old Hussein Murray.

The county sheriff’s office is still searching for one of two men posing as DTE workers believed to be responsible for the death. The other was arrested Saturday in Louisiana. The Oakland County Medical Examiner ruled the death a homicide, according to a statement from the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office.

“Our family is deeply saddened by the loss of my grandfather Hussein. My grandfather was a man with a heart of gold, who treated everyone around him with kindness and compassion. He has had a lasting impact on our family and community, and I’m more than proud to call him my grandfather,” grandson Hussein Murray said in a statement to the Free Press.

“I am eternally grateful for the support the community has shown our family during this difficult time. We are also grateful for the Oakland County Sheriff’s Department’s tireless work in seeking justice for my grandfather and compassion for our process of grief. We are heartbroken by the news of his death, but our family will bond through this with the determination he has instilled in us to be the man he was,” said Murray, who is named after the his grandfather

Murray was found dead in the basement of his home in the 3700 block of Newcastle. His wife called 911. When officers arrived at the scene, they found her bound and her hands taped shut, the sheriff’s office said. She told deputies she thought her husband might have been kidnapped.

The woman told deputies the two men had come to the home Thursday because of a gas leak. They didn’t let them in. They returned on Friday and were allowed into the house. Murray went with the two men into the basement, apparently to look for the leak, according to the news release.

The 72-year-old woman was briefly in hospital after the incident but has since been released.

More: Man killed, woman tied up by men posing as utility workers, Oakland County Sheriff says

Sheriff Michael Bouchard called the incident a “tragic murder” and said in the press release that “we will leave no stone unturned to find the perpetrators of this heinous act.”

“I urge them to turn themselves in, because in any case we will find you,” Bouchard said, before a suspect was taken into custody.

The Oakland County Sheriff’s Office released a photo and video from a Ring camera of one of the alleged homicide suspects. The video shows a man wearing a white shirt and yellow vest with orange and blue stripes. The man, wearing a face mask and what appear to be gloves, briefly holds a clipboard with white paper at the camera.

“We’re DTE. We’re checking for gas leaks,” the man says in the video. Another person is behind him, wearing what appears to be a similar vest, in the video posted on the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page.

Murray was a Wayne County business owner, Bouchard said during a news conference, broadcast Friday on WXYZ Detroit. The sheriff’s office is unsure of the cause of death because “there was so much blood,” he told reporters.

The two men, who claimed to be DTE workers, had a white pickup truck with a banner that said DTE, Bouchard said in the television station’s video. According to preliminary information, Murray went with the men to the basement on Friday and the “woman never saw him again.” They went upstairs, taped her up, searched the house for about 20 minutes and left, Bouchard said in the video.

“From what I’ve seen in my career, they may have thought there were valuables in the house because of the business and they were trying to get whatever they were,” Bouchard told reporters Friday.

The sheriff’s office is investigating whether anything was taken from the home.

Murray owned Gold and Glitter Jewelry in Hamtramck, the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office confirmed. Murray’s funeral, viewing and memorial services will be held Sunday, Monday and Oct. 20 at the Islamic Institute of America in Dearborn Heights, according to a post on the company’s Instagram and the mosque’s Facebook page.

His grandson said Murray was an “amazing cook” and always shared fruits and vegetables from his garden. She described him as someone who brought joy and warmth to his family, and who had a smile that “could make you feel like the world was yours.”

“The car rides he took me on, the days he let me pretend I was a worker in his shop when I was little, and the memories of his upbringing in Lebanon he shared with me when we had breakfast together are things I M “I’ve endured and the things I’ll continue to endure for the rest of my life,” she said in an Instagram post.

In a news release Saturday, Bouchard warned residents about people showing up at their homes unexpectedly, claiming to be from a utility or business and seeking access. He encouraged residents to check with the utility or business and ask if workers are in the area before allowing them into their homes.

DTE Energy released a statement Friday about the alleged homicide by “imposters posing as DTE employees.”

The company warned customers about utility impersonators. The company said if someone comes to a home or business claiming to be DTE, to check for a badge with a photo ID. Customers can call 800-477-4747 to confirm. They must keep the door closed while making the call and speak through a locked screen, if necessary. If the worker refuses to show their badge, residents can refuse service. They can call 800-477-4747 to confirm if DTE was scheduled to be in their area or home.

DTE will contact customers via a phone call from its call center, email or text message prior to making a visit. It is rare for DTE employees to enter a home, although it does happen. The company says it notifies customers of any work needed at home and will try to schedule a schedule.

DTE customers should know their gas supplier, the company said. While DTE may supply a home’s electricity, it may not supply the gas as well. The only reason a DTE worker should enter a home is if there is a gas meter inside, which is common in older homes. DTE does not provide residential gas distribution in Rochester Hills. It operates gas transport pipelines in the area.

“Our hearts go out to the victims of this horrific and tragic event, and we hope that the perpetrators are apprehended and brought to justice quickly,” DTE said in the statement.

Anyone with information can call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-SPEAK-UP. Crime Stoppers is offering a reward of up to $2,000 for information leading to an arrest.

Free Press writer Christina Hall contributed to this report.

Contact Nushrat Rahman: [email protected]. Follow her on X: @NushratR.

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