DETROIT (WWJ) -- A homeless man has been charged in connection with a double murder of a man and a woman, last March in Detroit.
The Wayne County Prosecutor's Office said 35-year-old Muhammad Murphy was arraigned in 36th District Court Friday on two counts of First-Degree Premeditated Murder.
Detroit Police officers were called to a home on Desoto Street, south of The Lodge, on March 11, 2025, where they found the victims: 60-year-old Dwayne Pinkston and 68-year-old Barbara Jackson, both of Detroit.
Officers said Pinkston was in the basement, suffering from trauma to his neck. Jackson was also found in the basement, her body stuffed inside of a plastic container and submerged in an unknown liquid.
It's alleged, according to prosecutors, that Murphy hit Pinkston multiple times with a hammer and a crowbar, and hit Jackson with a crowbar. The Wayne County Medical Examiner ruled that the deaths were caused by blunt force trauma.
It's alleged that Murphy fled the scene following the killings.
He was identified as a suspect, tracked down by police, and arrested in Ypsilanti on Tuesday, Jan. 27 . Officials noted in a news release that he is "unhoused."
Prosecutors have not discussed a motive, nor what led up to the killings.
It is not been made public how Murphy knew the victims, but official said they were "aquainted with each other."
Murphy was remanded to jail where he awaits his next court appearance, a Probable Cause Conference scheduled for Feb. 6.
Michigan Department of Corrections records show Murphy has a criminal history, having served time for assault during a robbery, and for assaulting a prison employee.