Doorbell footage has been released showing two suspects pretending to be energy workers calling a house in an upscale Detroit neighborhood before they allegedly murdered a 72-year-old jewelry store owner in the basement while his wife was duct-taped.
The chilling footage, released by police, shows the men in high-vis vests and face masks standing outside a home in Rochester Hills, on Thursday at around 10 p.m., hours before the brutal killing took place, police say.
“We’re DTE, we’re checking for gas leaks,” one of the men says before displaying his clipboard to the camera while the other suspect appears to keep watch.
DTE Energy is an energy company based in Detroit, Michigan.
BEWARE OF FRAUDSTERS POSING AS GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS TRYING TO STEAL YOUR CASH
Police say the pair were unable to gain entry on Thursday and returned on Friday at around noon and got into the home, located in the 3700 block of Newcastle.
The victim, who has not been identified at the time of this report, brought the men down to his basement to check for a purported gas leak, the victim’s wife told police. When he didn’t return, she assumed he had been kidnapped.
When police arrived on the scene, they found the man’s wife bound with duct tape and then went down to the basement where they found his body.
Police say they do not know how the man died “because of the gruesome nature of the injuries.”
“We’re not sure the cause, because quite frankly there was so much blood,” Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard said, per Fox 2 Detroit. “We’re not sure if it was any kind of gunshot or blunt force trauma. We’re not sure. … They said there was a gas leak, they let them in and the husband went with them downstairs to check if and where the gas leak may be, and she never saw him again.”
It is unclear if items were stolen from the house. The victim owned a jewelry business in Wayne County.
Police say they are looking for two men who were driving a white pick-up truck with orange cones in the truck bed.
One is described as thin and Black, while the other was heavier and described as being Latino.
Police say the pair should be considered dangerous.
“Lots of times when people are small business owners they become a target for assets or cash that sometimes they bring home,” Bouchard said. “We’ve seen that in some of the high-end burglaries. So that’s a possibility we’re looking into as well.”
Police released a screenshot of the suspect who called to the door on Thursday.
“Here is a picture of one of our homicide suspects,” police wrote on Facebook. “Even though they are attempting to conceal their faces and identity, it’s likely if you know this person you will recognize even with the mask. A reward is possible.”
Bouchard encouraged residents to be weary of anyone showing up at their homes unexpectedly claiming to be from a utility company or some other business wanting access.
DTE echoed those warnings in a statement and advised customers to request identification badges from workers who call on homes, noting that DTE employees always carry photo identification.
“Our hearts go out to the victims of this horrific and tragic event, and we hope the perpetrators are quickly apprehended and brought to justice,” the energy company’s statement reads, in part, per Fox 2.
“It is important to note that, before DTE arrives at a customer’s home for any service visit, we make every effort to contact them in advance, either through a phone call from our call center or via email or text message. We encourage customers to request to see the identification badge before allowing access to their property.”
“If customers want to verify a worker’s identity or confirm that a vehicle is an authorized company vehicle, they should call DTE customer service at 800-477-4747 to confirm the validity of the visit.”
