White Lake Township Police and the FBI allege that Jeffery Morris sexually assaulted Susie Zhao and then murdered her, according to court documents obtained by 7 Action News of Detroit television station WXYZ.
Police have released more details about the alleged murder of professional poker player Susie Zhao. (Image: Susie Zhao/Facebook)
Police were alerted to Zhao’s burned body in Pontiac Lake Park on the morning of July 13.
Phone Records Help Reconstruct Zhao’s Final Night
According to court documents, cell phone records show that Zhao met Morris the night before. Morris told police that he picked up Zhao that evening, and that they checked into the Sherwood Motel at around 9:26 pm on July 12.
Morris supposedly told police that they then left to buy alcohol before returning to the motel. He claimed that Zhao left the motel around midnight, taking all of her belongings with her, including her cell phone.
But cell phone records suggest that Zhao’s phone didn’t leave the area until about 5 am the next morning. The court documents also indicate that surveillance footage and phone records show that Morris left at the same time, then drove to the park, where he stayed for about seven minutes.
The documents also outline how Zhao allegedly died. Police accuse Morris of sexually assaulting Zhao with a large object before he lit her on fire until she died.
Police found Morris and his vehicle days later, and say they recovered evidence including hairs, fibers, items with possible blood stains, and footwear impressions. Those items are being tested at the Oakland County Crime Lab.
Police Charge Morris with First-Degree Murder
Last Wednesday, police announced that they had arrested and formally charged 60-year-old Jeffery Bernard Morris with first-degree, premeditated murder as part of the investigation into Zhao’s death.
“This is not the end of the investigation into Susie’s death but the beginning of the pursuit of justice for her and her family,” Detective Lt. Chris Hild of the White Lake Township Police told reporters last week.
Police have described Morris as a transient, homeless person who previously lived in Pontiac. Investigators say that Morris is a convicted sex offender with a history of criminal activity, including a 1989 charge of third-degree criminal sexual conduct, and pleading guilty to misdemeanor domestic violence in 2009. Police say Morris is currently on probation for retail fraud.
The 33-year-old Zhao played poker professionally in Los Angeles, and had cashed in six World Series of Poker events, including a 90th place finish in the 2012 Main Event which earned her $73,805. Overall, Zhao’s Hendon Mob page tracked $224,671 in live tournament winnings.
In more recent years, Zhao had become a regular at multiple card rooms in the Los Angeles area, even appearing on Live at the Bike. Police say Zhao had returned to Michigan in June, and was staying with her parents since that time.
According to a WXYZ report, police no longer suspect that Zhao’s professional poker background played a role in her murder.
source https://casinonewsblogger.com/police-release-new-details-in-murder-investigation/
No comments:
Post a Comment