His family spent a year not knowing what had happened, filing missing person reports and waiting for answers. It took his brothers' own technical skills, and dogged police work, to finally learn the truth.
The Deal
Zuhyr Hamza Kaleem, 22, a Lone Star College student hoping to transfer to the University of Houston, arranged to meet former high school classmate Jose Varela at Varela's home on April 27, 2019, for a marijuana deal. When Kaleem arrived, Varela and another man, Eric Aguilar, closed the garage door, and Aguilar fatally shot him. Aguilar later claimed Kaleem had pulled a gun during the encounter and that it discharged as he tried to take it from him.
Concealing the Crime
Varela and Aguilar took Kaleem's body to Grimes County, where his remains were burned. Varela then drove Kaleem's car to Mexico and abandoned it there.
A Family's Search
Kaleem's family filed a missing person report and struggled to understand his sudden disappearance, noting it was completely out of character for him to be unreachable for so long.
Cracking the Case
Kaleem's brothers, both software engineers, used their technical skills to help identify Varela as the last person to have contact with him, providing investigators a critical lead. About a year after the killing, the Harris County Sheriff's Office announced the recovery of Kaleem's remains from a property in Grimes County, along with charges in the case.
Convictions
Jose Varela pleaded guilty to murder and was sentenced to 45 years in prison. Eric Aguilar was sentenced to life in prison without parole. A fourth man, who lived on the property where the remains were found and allegedly admitted to helping bury the body, was charged with tampering with evidence. A third suspect, Austin Walker, faced a pending trial as of the available information.
A Lasting Tribute
Kaleem's family and friends established a fundraiser to build a water filtration plant in Pakistan in his memory.
FAQ
What sentence did Jose Varela receive?
45 years in prison, after pleading guilty to murder.
How was Varela connected to the crime?
Kaleem's brothers used their software engineering skills to help identify him as the last person known to have contact with Kaleem.
What sentence did Eric Aguilar receive?
Life in prison without parole.