Man charged in connection with brutal Detroit murder after woman returned home to bodies in her house
Muhammad Mastakella Murphy (MDOC)
DETROIT (FOX 2) - A man is now facing murder charges for a brutal slaying that left two people dead in Detroit last winter.
Two counts of first-degree murder have been filed against Muhammad Mastakella Murphy, 35, in connection with the March 11, 2025 murder of 60-year-old Dwayne Pinkston and 68-year-old Barbara Jackson.
What we know:
Detroit police previously said that a woman left her home in the 8700 block of Desoto for about an hour. When she returned to the home near Wyoming and Fenkell, she found that the door was locked, and she couldn't get inside.
The woman was able to get into the house through a window. Police said she found the body of a woman dead at the bottom of the basement stairs.
The resident left and called 911. First repsonders who searched the home found another body, that of a man, police said.
According to a press release from the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office, Pinkston had trauma to his neck, while Jackson was stuffed inside a container that was full of an unknown liquid. Both victims died from blunt force trauma, according to the medical examiner.
Murphy, who was acquainted with the victims, allegedly hit Pinkston with a hammer and crowbar, and struck Jackson with a crowbar.
Authorities have not shared the connection between the victims and the home's resident, if any.
What we don't know:
It is unclear what led investigators to Murphy.
Dig deeper:
Murphy, who is homeless, was identified and arrested by the Ypsilanti Police Department on Jan. 27.
According to Michigan Department of Corrections records, Murphy has a record of assault convictions.
The Source: This information is from previous reporting, the Wayne County prosecutor, and MDOC records.