On Thursday, the Houston Police Department announced officers arrested 51-year-old Bobby Singh Shah during a traffic stop. HPD said Shah was charged with capital murder for the death of Muna Pandey, whom Houston's Nepalese community identified as a Nepal national learning to be a nurse in the U.S.
The night of the murder
Police initially said staff at the Reserve at 63 Sixty Three apartment complex found Pandey's body in her unit on Monday after receiving an anonymous tip, which detectives said came from a male over the phone with no caller ID. In Shah's charging documents, investigators said the victim was shot several times, including what they called an execution-style wound in the back of the head. That, combined with the fact that there were no signs of forced entry or theft, suggested she may have known her killer.
Documents said several of her friends spoke to investigators the night of her murder, informing them that Pandey, who lived alone, had an issue with a stalker about a year prior, leading her to install a motion-activated camera outside her front door. Detectives also couldn't locate her cell phone in her apartment. Her number went straight to voicemail when they called, records stated. Police believe whoever killed Pandey may also have her device. Her friends told police her phone didn't register a location after Saturday.
The last time she was seen alive
Critical to HPD detectives was a photo of the suspect released in the early stage of the investigation, which showed a man exiting the apartment's front door on Aug. 24.
Charging documents described investigators getting access to Pandey's security camera footage of the night of her murder, which investigators said showed the same man holding a firearm and the victim holding several items, including her black purse. Records stated the man repeatedly told the victim to open her apartment door.
"What are you going to do?" the woman could be heard asking before investigators said the man racked the slide of his gun. He then pushed her inside and apparently locked the door behind them at 8:41 p.m., according to police. Then, at 9:48 p.m., the suspect exited the unit, carrying the purse.
Detectives also spoke with a neighbor who reported loud thumping in Pandey's apartment around the same time frame described in the footage.
Connecting the suspect
With the suspect's photo out to the public, police received several reliable tips that helped them tie Shah to the murder case.
According to the charging document, a Hillcroft Street restaurant owner told police that Pandey was a regular customer. Investigators moved on to an acquaintance of the owner, who told them he recognized Shah as a restaurant regular and a potential business partner. The business relationship, investigators said, required the suspect's driver's license, which detectives used to match Shah to the footage.
In addition, the charging document notes a tip from another woman who stated that she instantly recognized the man in the HPD images and said she met him through a so-called "Sugar Daddy" website 12 years ago. She knew him as Bobby Shah, records said.
Shah's case was seen in probable cause court Thursday afternoon, where he waived his appearance and received no bail on his case.