In 1979, a Nebraska woman and her child were found murdered in their home. Nearly 46 years later, an arrest has finally been made in this case.
On Wednesday, Feb. 12, the Omaha Police Department (OPD) announced that 67-year-old Abdulmalik Husain, formerly known as Louis Walker, had been charged with two counts of murder in the deaths of Deroshia Matthews, 26, and her son, Kamal Matthews, 7.
“On Tuesday, April 24th, 1979, officers responded to 4264 Binney Street around 8 a.m. after receiving calls from concerned family and friends of Ms. Matthews and her son, Kamal. They stated that they had not heard from or seen them, which was unusual. Ms. Matthews and her son were discovered dead inside their home,” the department said in a previous statement about the incident.
Police determined that the mother had been sexually assaulted, and the victims showed signs of strangulation “consistent with a rope or cord,” according to a Douglas County judge in court on Thursday, February 13.
According to Omaha Police Homicide Lt. Nicholas Andrews, Husain knew Deroshia from a community event four years prior in 1975. Andrews stated that while Husain was initially a person of interest in the case, there was insufficient evidence to officially charge him at the time.
CNN reported that a break in the case occurred in 2004, when Husain was arrested in Colorado on a different charge and his DNA was entered into the national Combined DNA Index System. While Husain’s DNA matched samples collected at the murder scene, the Douglas County District Attorney’s Office was forced to drop the charges due to a clerical error.
However, a new break came in 2021, when forensic advancements allowed investigators to reexamine “key evidence,” ultimately leading to the recent arrest, Andrews told CNN.
Husain’s attorney, Douglas County Public Defender Thomas C. Riley, who also represented him in 2004, told PEOPLE that he has no comment on the latest charges.
In a statement about the case posted on the OPD’s official Facebook page on February 15, Chief Todd Schmaderer stated, “Murders are never forgotten, and justice has no expiration date.”
“The depraved nature of this double homicide — one victim was a child — demanded our full attention. “Our commitment to these victims and their families has never wavered,” Schmaderer added.
The OPD stated that it was “proud” to announce the “significant breakthrough” in the case, citing “relentless investigative work, advancements in forensic technology, and unwavering dedication.”
Husain is currently being held without bond, according to local news outlet KETV.
