FERNDALE, Mich. (WWJ) -- A suspect who was arrested for murder in a nearly decade-old cold case has been released, as police were told they need more evidence against the suspect.
Ferndale police announced last week that a suspect had been arrested for the murder of Karim Khamarko the day after Thanksgiving in 2010. The suspect was arrested Thursday, but the Oakland County Prosecutor's office told police late Friday afternoon that the case did not contain sufficient evidence for them to issue an arrest warrant at the time.
Khamarko, 64, was the owner of the Dollar Club Plus at 2750 Hilton Road, and was found lying on the floor of his store, bleeding and having trouble breathing around 9 p.m. on Nov. 26, 2010. Khamarko had been shot multiple times and died at a hospital later that night.
Police followed up on many tips and leads following the murder, and the case remained open for years. Detectives thought they'd finally cracked the case when evidence discovered earlier this year pointed to a 48-year-old Romulus man. Police did not disclose the nature of the evidence against the man, who has not been identified.
"We appreciate the careful consideration of our Prosecutor’s office as they spent hours examining the evidence our detectives brought them. We are ever mindful of the interplay of checks and balances designed into our criminal justice system that seeks to ensure the fair application of due process for those accused of crimes," Ferndale police said in a statement Monday.
The case remains an active investigation.