ROCHESTER HILLS, Mich. – The murder trial for two men accused of posing as DTE Energy workers to gain access to a Rochester Hills home began Wednesday, featuring dramatic body camera video and testimony from the victim’s widow, Linda Murray.
Murray, the wife of the murdered 72-year-old pawn and jewelry store owner Hussein Murray, testified there is “no doubt” in her mind that Carlos Hernandez and Joshua Zuazo were in her home last year and were the men responsible.
Both Hernandez and Zuazo are charged with felony murder and two counts of unlawful imprisonment.
On Oct. 11, 2024, police were called to the Murrays’ Rochester Hills home after Linda Murray, 73, managed to contact authorities with her hands and feet bound with duct tape.
She testified she had already been violently struck in the face, so hard that she eventually lost a tooth. Just moments earlier, she said Hernandez and Zuazo followed her husband into their basement, pretending to be DTE workers checking for a gas leak.
“It appears he was bound with both zip ties and tape,” an expert testified.
According to prosecutors, the men were dressed as utility workers when they attacked the couple. Body camera footage shows responding officers making entry to the home, unsure of who may have still been inside at the time.
“We got one down, shot in the head,” one officer reported.
Investigators allege the two not only killed Hussein Murray, but also meticulously planned the attack by stealing a man’s work truck and shopping for tape and fake utility supplies.
“Do you recognize that vehicle on fire?” prosecutors asked during testimony.
“Yeah, I recognize that vehicle,” said a man who testified that the duo had stolen his work truck.
Prosecutors said the pair had come to the Murray home the night before, claiming to check for a gas leak, but the couple turned them away. They returned the next morning, luring Hussein Murray to the basement.
Linda Murray testified that during the confrontation, she begged to know where her husband was.
Prosecutor: “What happens when you’re asking about your husband?”
“Zuazo tells me that he’s sleeping. And I notice blood on his vest. And I start screaming.” She said, “And Hernandez hits me in the face to cover my mouth.”
She testified the men took jewelry, cash, phones, and her husband’s gun while tying her up.
“Hernandez wanted to put me in a closet, but because I was bound, I couldn’t move,” Linda Murray said.
Attorneys for both Hernandez and Zuazo argued that the men never forced their way in, claiming media reports may have influenced Linda Murray’s memory. They also noted that other witnesses struggled to identify either man clearly.
“While the ring camera makes it really clear who the big fellow is, it doesn’t really identify Mr. Zuazo,” defense attorney Michael McCarthy told jurors.
Prosecutors later presented a receipt and surveillance video showing the men allegedly purchasing items like duct tape and safety vests at Lowe’s and Home Depot before the attack.
Testimony on Wednesday also became heated between Zuazo’s defense attorney, Michael McCarthy, and one of Zuazo’s former employers at a cement company.
The employer testified that Zuazo had been fired after repeated complaints and failure to wear proper safety gear. He said he recognized Zuazo and his equipment on surveillance video after the attack and called police. The defense argued Zuazo’s former boss was only angry about the threat and rarely interacted with Zuazo.
In between testimony, jurors were reminded not to discuss the case or interact with anyone involved. This came after the judge said one juror had greeted an attorney outside the courtroom.
The first day of testimony lasted about eight hours, and the trial is expected to continue Thursday at 8:30 a.m.