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Indian national accused of deadly 2017 stabbing of mother, son in New Jersey
Nazeer Hameed is accused of fatally stabbing Sasikala Narra and her young son Anish inside a Burlington County apartment back in 2017. Here's what we now.
MAPLE SHADE - An Indian man is being held responsible for the deadly 2017 stabbing of a mother and her son inside a Burlington County apartment after investigators say DNA evidence taken from his company-issued laptop linked him to a blood sample found at the crime scene.
The backstory:
Investigators say in March 2017, Hanu Narra arrived home to find his wife Sasikala and their son Anish brutally stabbed to death inside their Maple Shade apartment.
The crime scene was described by police as the most brutal they've seen, and defensive wounds found on the mother and son's bodies suggested they fought back.
Investigators honed their focus on a blood sample taken from the scene that did not belong to either victim nor Hanu.
What we know:
Through investigative leads, authorities developed Nazeer Hameed as a suspect in the brutal double murder and began looking into his movements during the crime.
They found that Hameed worked at the same company as Hanu; Cognizant Technologies, a Teaneck, New Jersey-based company. They also discovered that he lived within walking distance of the family's apartment and did not drive while he was living in the United States on a work visa.
Investigators allege Hameed followed Hanu and his family for a "significant time" prior to the murders. He fled to India after the double stabbing and remained an employee of Cognizant.
It's believed that Haamed used his extensive background in technology to cover his tracks and conceal his criminal history. Investigators in the United States submitted a request for Hameed's blood sample, but that request went unfulfilled.
Dig deeper:
After years of trying to file criminal charges to bring Hameed back to the United States, investigators were able to seize his company-issued laptop for a DNA sample.
Cognizant shipped his laptop back to the United States where investigators were able to pull a DNA sample that they say matched the mysterious blood sample taken from the crime scene in 2017.
What they're saying:
Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office Lieutenant Brian Cunningham said investigators are still unsure of Hameed's alleged motive for the crime.
"Based on the circumstances, there was a personal vendetta against Hanu Narra," he said.
What's next:
Investigators are working with the Department of Justice to get Hameed back to the United States to face charges.
"We're working with our partners at the Department of Justice and we're confident we'll get him back to the United States," Cunningham said.