Rochester Hills, Michigan — A new twist has shaken this quiet Detroit suburb now that prosecutors have charged Amanda Ileana Hernandez, 34, with serious crimes tied to the October 2024 murder of popular jeweler Hussein “Sam” Murray. The Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office announced on Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026, that Hernandez faces conspiracy and accessory charges for her alleged role in the planning and cover-up of the home invasion that left Murray dead and his wife violently bound.
The case first drew national attention when Hernandez’s husband, Carlos Hernandez, and his accomplice Joshua Zuazo posed as DTE Energy workers to gain entry to the Murray home on Newcastle Drive in Rochester Hills. Prosecutors say the pair falsely claimed they were checking for a gas leak — a ruse that allowed them past the front door on the morning of October 11, 2024.
Once inside, authorities say Carlos Hernandez and Zuazo forced Murray into the basement under false pretenses. Moments later, they returned without him. Murray’s wife, Linda, recounts they demanded jewelry and cash, struck her to silence her, and duct-taped her wrists and ankles before leaving. She later escaped and called 911. Deputies found Murray’s body in the basement, bound with zip ties and duct tape and suffering fatal neck compression along with other blunt force injuries.
In separate trials last year, both Carlos Hernandez and Zuazo were convicted of first-degree felony murder and unlawful imprisonment in Murray’s death. In December 2025, a judge sentenced the two men to life in prison without the possibility of parole for their roles in the gruesome crime.
Amanda Hernandez’s charges include conspiracy to commit first-degree home invasion, accessory after the fact, and conspiracy to commit false impersonation of a utility worker — each carrying heavy potential penalties if she’s convicted. Prosecutors say text messages between Amanda and her husband — entered as evidence in court — showed she knew of the plan and helped them prepare and evade scrutiny.
Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald spoke for the Murray family in her statement, calling Sam Murray “a beloved father and husband” whose loss still deeply wounds those who knew him. McDonald added that investigators worked tirelessly to uncover the full extent of everyone’s involvement in the crime and that authorities will continue fighting for justice.
As the legal process unfolds, the community remains gripped by the heartbreaking details — from the betrayal of trust that let killers inside a home to the painstaking investigation that is now tracing every strand of what happened.
