'We can have a nice backyard': Wife of killer who posed as a gas worker to rob jeweler grandfather in fatal home invasion on the hook for conspiracy, prosecutors say
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Left, center: Carlos Hernandez posing as a worker for DTE Energy in Michigan; Amanda Ileana Hernandez (Oakland County Sheriff’s Office). Right: Hussein Murray (Instagram).

A Michigan woman finds herself facing charges related to a notorious murder case involving her husband and a home invasion gone tragically wrong.

The woman, Amanda Ileana Hernandez, aged 34, stands accused of conspiracy linked to the home invasion that resulted in the death of 72-year-old Hussein “Sam” Murray in October 2024. Her spouse, 39-year-old Carlos Hernandez, along with accomplice 40-year-old Joshua Zuazo, were convicted for the murders of Murray and his wife, receiving life sentences in December 2025.

During the October 2025 trial, it emerged that Amanda and her husband exchanged numerous messages discussing the plot to burglarize the Murrays’ residence in the affluent Rochester Hills area of Detroit. Prosecutors now claim Amanda Hernandez was an integral part of the scheme and are determined to bring her to justice.

As reported by Law&Crime, Carlos Hernandez and Zuazo masqueraded as DTE gas company employees to gain entry into the Murrays’ home. After an initial failed attempt, they succeeded on October 11, 2024, when Murray allowed them into his basement. There, they restrained and fatally assaulted him.

Meanwhile, Murray’s wife, who was also restrained upstairs, managed to call for assistance. Unfortunately, help arrived too late to save her husband.

The day before Carlos Hernandez and Zuazo killed Murray, the Hernandezes exchanged nearly 100 text messages in which they allegedly talked about how the scheme would unfold. Prosecutors presented these texts during trial, which were also obtained by local NBC affiliate WDIV. Among the messages were an alleged confirmation from Amanda Hernandez that the fake DTE badges “were delivered,” a reminder to “[t]urn your phone off when you’re out there just in case,” relief that the men had “a good getaway car,” and another reminder to make sure “there was no cameras around.”

The couple also allegedly talked about what they would buy with the money the two men would steal from the Murrays, including “enough money to buy a house.” Amanda Hernandez allegedly longed for a home with “no rent,” adding, “we can have a nice backyard.”

Oakland County prosecutors charged Amanda Hernandez with conspiracy to commit a first-degree home invasion, accessory after the fact, and conspiracy to commit false impersonation of a utility worker. She was arrested on Tuesday and booked into the Oakland County Jail. After her court appearance on Wednesday, she was handed a $100,000 bond.

Her next court appearance is scheduled for Feb. 9.

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