- By Shivangi Sharma
- Wed, 19 Nov 2025 01:49 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
More than eight years after a brutal double murder shocked a New Jersey community, investigators have finally identified a suspect, thanks to a single drop of blood and a breakthrough DNA match. Prosecutors in Burlington County announced on Tuesday that 38-year-old Indian national Nazeer Hameed has been charged with the murders of Sasikala Narra, 38, and her six-year-old son Anish, who were found stabbed to death in their Maple Shade apartment in March 2017.
Hameed, who was working in the United States on a visa at the time, fled to India shortly after the killings and has remained there since. Authorities are now seeking his extradition.
A Crime Scene Investigators Never Forgot
Maple Shade Police described the 2017 scene as one of the most disturbing they had ever encountered. Both victims had suffered multiple stab wounds and showed signs of defensive injuries, indicating they fought desperately for their lives.
“The scene was unimaginable,” Maple Shade Police Chief Christopher Fletcher said. “Those who responded saw the carnage of a mother and young child who spent their final moments fighting for their lives.”
Despite the passage of time, investigators, haunted by the brutality of the crime, continued to pursue every possible lead.
Single Droplet Of Blood Leads To Breakthrough
The critical breakthrough came when investigators matched DNA extracted from Hameed’s company-issued laptop with an unidentified droplet of blood collected at the crime scene in 2017.
In 2024, after Hameed refused requests to voluntarily provide a DNA sample, US authorities obtained a court order compelling his former employer in India to send the laptop for forensic testing. The DNA recovered from the device yielded a match, allowing prosecutors to formally charge him with murder and related offenses.
“This match was the turning point,” said Lt. Brian Cunningham of the Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office. “It allowed us to take the case forward and pursue extradition.”
Suspect Lived Nearby, Allegedly Stalked Victim’s Husband
According to investigators, Hameed worked with Sasikala’s husband, Hanumanth Narra, at Cognizant Technology Solutions in New Jersey. The two men also consulted for a Philadelphia-based company. Police say Hameed lived within walking distance of the Narra family’s residence and had allegedly been stalking Hanumanth before the murders.
Cellphone records and behavioural evidence had already placed Hameed on investigators' radar, but the lack of definitive forensic proof delayed charges, until now.
Burlington County Prosecutor LaChia Bradshaw vowed that the pursuit will continue until Hameed is brought to the US to face trial. “We did not forget. We did not forgive,” Bradshaw said. “Justice must and will prevail.”
Efforts are now underway to work with Indian authorities to secure Hameed’s arrest and extradition, as the community of Maple Shade hopes for closure nearly a decade after the crime.