Overview
- The Wayne County Prosecutor's Office on Jan. 30 filed two counts of first-degree premeditated murder against Muhammad Mastakella Murphy, 35.
- The victims were identified as Dwayne Pinkston, 60, and Barbara Jackson, 68, discovered on March 11, 2025 in the basement of a home on Detroit's west side.
- The medical examiner determined both deaths were caused by blunt force trauma, and prosecutors say Pinkston was struck with a hammer and crowbar while Jackson was struck with a crowbar.
- Jackson was found placed inside a container filled with an unknown liquid, and Pinkston had neck injuries, according to officials.
- Ypsilanti police arrested Murphy on Jan. 27 and turned him over to Detroit authorities; officials say he knew the victims, while motive and any link to the home's resident remain undisclosed.