An arrest has been made in connection with the murder of University of Houston Clear Lake student Payas Deo, whose body was discovered in southeast Harris County earlier this month. Deo, 19, had been reported missing since February 8 and was later found shot to death on March 1, as reported by KHOU.
Following a shared dinner with his family on the night of February 8, Payas left the house, marking the last occasion his parents, Rohit and Seema Deo, would see him alive. Found with a smashed driver's side window and evidence of violence, Deo's abandoned car was located the next day in Pasadena, as covered by ABC13. The site of the abandoned car, approximately six miles from the family's residence.
The recovery of Deo's body revealed it in an advanced state of decomposition, found in a field near Dumas Street, between Highway 3 and I-45. The investigation shifted to a pursuit of justice when the Harris County Medical Examiner's Office determined through an autopsy that Deo had been shot twice, once in the head and once in the neck, confirming the cause of death.
Nickalous Ahmed Benjamin, arrested last night, now faces charges that include murder and tampering with a human corpse. Local law enforcement reports these charges in connection with the death of Payas Deo, a 19-year-old who was in the midst of pursuing an education and personal growth at UH Clear Lake. Deo's death has been conclusively ruled a homicide, officials from Pasadena police told ABC13.
