Two men who disguised themselves as utility workers to enter a Michigan home and fatally beat a retired jeweler in his basement have been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
On Tuesday, Dec. 9, Carlos Hernandez, 37, and Joshua Zuazo, 39, received mandatory life sentences for the Oct. 11, 2024, killing of 72-year-old Hussein Murray. The pair had been found guilty in October 2025 by separate juries of first-degree felony murder and unlawful imprisonment.
According to prosecutors, Hernandez and Zuazo first visited Murray’s Rochester Hills home on Oct. 10, 2024, claiming they needed to check for a gas leak, but were turned away. The next day, they returned wearing gear marked “DTE,” were allowed inside, and accompanied Murray to the basement, where he was beaten and restrained with duct tape and zip ties.
Prosecutors said Hernandez also attacked and tied up Murray’s wife in the kitchen while Zuazo searched the home. After the men fled, she was able to call 911. Investigators later connected stolen items from the house to Hernandez’s vehicle, which was stopped in Louisiana.
During sentencing, Judge Yasmine Poles delivered a blistering rebuke of the two men, calling their actions cowardly and driven by greed. She said Murray’s life “meant nothing” to them and that this level of cruelty was rarely seen in her courtroom. Poles added that she hoped their memory of Murray’s final moments would stay with them for the rest of their lives.
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Murray’s family members spoke through tears about the loss of a devoted husband, father of three, and longtime businessman. Murray had recently retired after running a pawn and jewelry shop in Hamtramck for many years and was known as a warm presence in the community.
His eldest son, Abdu Murray, criticized Hernandez and Zuazo for forcing the family to endure a trial, saying they pursued even the faintest chance of avoiding accountability or receiving a lesser punishment despite their guilt.
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Another son, Moheeb, read a poem written by Murray’s wife, his partner of 54 years, in which she described him as her “sunshine” and said the world felt darker without him. Their third son, Rehif, told the court that his father’s larger-than-life presence left “a gaping hole” in the family that could never be filled.
Both Hernandez and Zuazo declined to address the court at sentencing. Their attorneys indicated they intend to appeal the convictions.
