The Rochester Hills homicide that started with a fake utility visit is not done in court yet. The wife of a man already serving life for posing as a DTE worker in a deadly break-in is now set for her own key hearing at the end of the month.
Amanda Ileana Hernandez, 34, is scheduled to appear March 30 in 52-3 District Court, where a judge will decide whether prosecutors have enough probable cause to send her case to circuit court for trial. Prosecutors say Hernandez is linked to the October 2024 home invasion that left local jeweler Hussein “Sam” Murray dead.
According to The Oakland Press, Hernandez is charged with conspiracy to commit first-degree home invasion, accessory after the fact and conspiracy to commit false impersonation of a utility worker. The outlet reports she is being held at the Oakland County Jail on a $150,000 bond ahead of the March 30 preliminary exam.
Case background
Prosecutors say Hernandez’s husband, Carlos Hernandez, and a second man, Joshua Zuazo, went to Murray’s Rochester Hills home on Oct. 11, 2024, claiming they were DTE employees so they could get inside before the violence unfolded. As reported by FOX 2 Detroit, Murray was later found dead in the basement while his wife, Linda, had been bound with duct tape. She was eventually able to free herself and call 911.
A jury found both Carlos Hernandez and Zuazo guilty of first-degree murder and unlawful imprisonment in October 2025, and both men were later given life sentences. CBS Detroit reported on the convictions and the December sentencing that followed the trial.
Prosecutors point to texts and fake IDs
Investigators say dozens of text messages and other evidence tie Amanda Hernandez to both the planning and aftermath of the break-in, and prosecutors contend she helped create fake identification that was used to impersonate utility workers. As detailed by ClickOnDetroit, roughly 89 texts were read in court that prosecutors say show Hernandez’s awareness of the scheme.
Court timetable and bond history
The March 30 preliminary exam in 52-3 District Court before Judge Nancy Carniak will determine whether there is probable cause to bind the case over to Oakland County Circuit Court, according to local reporting. Earlier coverage of Hernandez’s January arraignment noted that a cash bond was initially set at $100,000, as reported by ClickOnDetroit, and subsequent records now list her as being held on the higher bond amount cited in more recent reports.
What the charges carry
Under Michigan law, first-degree home invasion is a felony punishable by up to 20 years in prison, and representing oneself as a public utility employee to gain entry or commit a crime is a separate statutory offense. The relevant sections of the Michigan Penal Code on home invasion and false personation of a public utility employee are found in MCL 750.110a and MCL 750.217b. Prosecutors have indicated they will ask the judge to weigh all counts and supporting evidence at the preliminary exam.
Family and public response
The case has drawn strong statements from the prosecutor’s office and steady coverage of the victim’s family, who have said they continue to grieve Murray’s death. As FOX 2 Detroit reported, Oakland County prosecutors described Murray as “a beloved father and husband” while investigators pursued everyone they believed was involved in the plot.
The March 30 preliminary exam is the next public test of whether prosecutors’ allegations and the evidence presented so far are strong enough to move Hernandez’s case to circuit court for a full trial. Court watchers and local media are expected to track new filings and docket entries in the weeks leading up to the hearing as the high-profile case continues to unfold.
