This is the chilling moment a male utility worker approached an elderly Michigan couple’s door just hours before he and another man allegedly killed the husband and injured the wife.
A man wearing a long white t-shirt, a face mask, and a reflective yellow vest was caught on Ring camera footage at the couple’s home.
‘We’re DTE,’ the man said, referring to the Detroit Edison Energy Company. ‘We’re checking for gas leaks,’ he continued, before flashing a clipboard with a piece of paper on it.
Another man, wearing the same outfit, was seen keeping watch from the front entrance around 8pm on Thursday, video obtained by Oakland County Sheriff’s Office shows.
The two men are accused of killing the homeowner, Hussein Murray, 72, in his basement in the upscale Rochester Hills neighborhood – roughly 25 miles outside of Detroit – and duct-taping his wife, also 72, who managed to call 911.
Police are asking for the public’s help identifying the men and for any information.
‘We’re looking for two men who were driving a white pickup truck with orange cones in the truck bed,’ Sherriff Michael Bouchard said in a statement.
An man wearing a long white t-shirt, a face mask, and a reflective yellow vest was caught on Ring camera footage at the couple’s home, telling them: ‘We’re DTE. We’re checking for gas leaks,’ before flashing a clipboard with a piece of paper on it
The two men are accused of killing Hussein Murray, 72, in his basement in the upscale Rochester Hills neighborhood – roughly 25 miles outside of Detroit – and duct-taping his wife, also 72, who managed to call 911
Police said Murray died around noontime on Friday inside his Newcastle Drive home.
Deputies were dispatched to the home after the wife, who has not been identified, called 911, where they found her tied up and her hands duct taped, the statement said.
She told deputies she believed her husband may have been kidnapped, but upon checking the home to make sure the intruders were gone, they found Murray’s body in the basement.
Due to the amount of blood, officers were unable to tell if he had been shot of bludgeoned to death.
The woman said the two men had come to their home the night before to check for a ‘gas leak,’ but they were turned away. When they showed up the next day, the husband allowed them into the home and escorted them to the basement.
When the men came back upstairs, Murray wasn’t with them and she assumed he had been kidnapped, police said in a statement.
Murray was a business owner in Wayne County. His wife was briefly hospitalized, but has since been released, according to The Detroit News.
Police are working to determine if the fraudsters had taken anything from the home and are encouraging residents to be careful about unexpected visits at their houses.
Grandchild Tarek Murray took to Facebook last night to discuss the horrific tragedy.
Police said the man died around noontime on Friday inside his Newcastle Drive home. Deputies were dispatched to the home after the wife called 911, where they found her tied up and her hands duct taped
Police are working to determine if the fraudsters had taken anything from the home and are encouraging residents to be careful about unexpected visits at their houses
‘My grandfather, Hussein Murray, was murdered in a home invasion/robbery earlier today. My grandmother was beaten, but she is currently in stable condition and safe,’ the post read.
‘They didn’t deserve this. It’s just not fair. I can’t believe they would do this.’
DTE released a statement on Friday evening, encouraging customers to be aware of impersonators after the attack.
‘If anyone arrives at your home or business claiming they are from DTE, please ask to see a badge with a photo ID,’ it wrote in a statement. ‘If the person refuses to show their badge, do not allow them entry into your home. If the person becomes agitated or acts in a strange manner, call 911 immediately.’
The energy company also said it does not supply gas to Rochester Hills residents, although it does have gas transmission pipelines in the area.
The company also told customers that it’s ‘very rare that a DTE employee would need to enter your home, but it does happen.’
‘DTE will use every opportunity to make you aware of any work needing to be done at your home and if possible will contact you in advance to schedule time for the work to be completed,’ the statement said.
