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 is now facing charges related to a home invasion that led to a murder, following her husband’s conviction in the case.
Amanda Ileana Hernandez, 34, is accused of being a conspirator in the October 2024 home invasion that resulted in the death of 72-year-old Hussein “Sam” Murray. Her husband, Carlos Hernandez, aged 39, along with 40-year-old Joshua Zuazo, were convicted of murdering Murray and his wife. Both were sentenced to life imprisonment in December 2025.
During the trial in October 2025, prosecutors unveiled a series of text messages exchanged between Amanda Hernandez and her husband, discussing their plan to rob the Murray residence in Detroit’s affluent Rochester Hills area. Prosecutors now contend that Amanda was complicit in the operation dubbed the “big score” and are determined to pursue justice against her.
As previously reported by Law & Crime, Carlos Hernandez and Zuazo masqueraded as employees of the local gas company, DTE, to gain entry into the Murray home. After an initial unsuccessful attempt, they returned on October 11, 2024. Murray permitted them into his basement, where they ultimately bound and fatally assaulted him.
Murray’s wife was similarly restrained upstairs but managed to call for assistance. Unfortunately, help arrived too late to save her husband’s life.
The day preceding the murder, Carlos and Amanda Hernandez exchanged close to 100 text messages outlining the details of the plot. These messages, presented in court and obtained by local NBC affiliate WDIV, included alleged confirmations from Amanda regarding the delivery of fake DTE badges, instructions to “turn your phone off when you’re out there just in case,” reassurances about having “a good getaway car,” and a reminder to ensure “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.
