Former classmate murdered by Katy man; victim’s software engineer brother helps link him to crime

A Katy man has finally received a sentence for his four-year role in the murder of a former classmate.

Jose Varela, 24, received a 45-year sentence on Friday

After pleading guilty to killing Zuhyr Hamza Kaleem, 22, a former student from Cypress Lakes High School, on April 27, 2019, a Katy man, Jose Varela, 24, received a 45-year sentence on Friday.

In an article from FOX 26 Houston, it was a deliberate murder, according to Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg, which left a family wondering what happened to a loved one for more than a year. We were able to bring about justice in this terrible situation with the assistance of the victim’s family and outstanding police work.

A Katy man, Varela and Kaleem planned to meet at Valera’s house to transact marijuana, but when Kaleem got there, another man, Eric Aguilar, was also present, the DA’s office said.

Aguilar shot Kaleem to death as they sealed the garage door to seal the deal.

According to authorities, the two males then carried Kaleem’s body to Grimes County where they set it on fire. To avoid being caught, a Katy man, Varela took Kaleem’s automobile to Mexico and dumped it there.

But Kaleem’s brothers were able to link Valera to his disappearance.

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Dupree: These defendants believed they had gotten away with the murder and had moved on with their lives

When Kaleem’s family was unable to locate him, they filed a missing person’s report. His brothers then used their knowledge of software engineering to pinpoint, a Katy man, Varela as the last person to speak with Kaleem.

Demetrius Lewis, a detective with the Harris County Sheriff’s Office, conducted an investigation that resulted in the arrests of Varela, Aguilar, and a third guy, whose case is still pending.

According to Dupree, these defendants believed they had gotten away with the murder and had moved on with their lives, but they had not anticipated the continuous search for Kaleem by the victim’s brothers and law authorities. The remains of their loved one were burned because of some marijuana and a few hundred dollars, after a year of waiting and praying for him to return home, reports from Houston Chronicle.

In November 2022, a Katy man, Aguilar was given a life sentence without the chance of release.

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