A Texas man is accused of committing an “execution-style” murder of a 21-year-old nursing student in her apartment last month. A tipster told Houston police she knew the murder suspect from a “sugar daddy” website in 2012 and “instantly” recognized him, according to court documents.
After receiving an anonymous tip, police found the body of Muna Pandey — who had attended Houston Community College — in her Houston apartment August 26, according to prosecutors. Paramedics pronounced Pandey dead at the crime scene, according to a press release from the Houston Police Department. Pandey was from Nepal.
When police arrested Shah several days after Pandey’s death, the suspect was still wearing the same blood-stained clothing seen on surveillance video when leaving the victim’s apartment.
Investigators said Muna was shot three times in the torso and once “execution style” in the back of the head, according to court documents.
On August 28, the Houston Police Department shared a surveillance camera image of the murder suspect and requested the public’s help in identifying the male.
Citing the criminal complaint, People magazine reported that a tipster informed Houston Police that she knew the murder suspect from a “sugar daddy” website in 2012 and “instantly” recognized him.
Houston Police said they arrested 51-year-old Bobby Singh Shah during a traffic stop on the night of August 28.
Shah was charged with capital murder and booked into the Harris County Jail.
According to the criminal complaint, a neighbor told investigators he heard “loud thumping” noises from Pandey’s apartment on August 24.
Prosecutors highlighted that when police arrested Shah several days after Pandey’s death, the suspect was still wearing the same blood-stained clothing seen on surveillance video when leaving the victim’s apartment.
Officers also discovered a gun in Shah’s car, according to prosecutors.
Citing court documents, KHOU said Pandey’s friend told investigators she previously had been stalked, and he helped her install a motion-activated camera above the entrance to her apartment. Video from that camera reportedly shows Shah holding Pandey at gunpoint while she was holding a shoe box, a shopping bag, a black jacket, and a purse. He reportedly is seen on video pushing her inside and leaving an hour later while holding Pandey’s purse. Authorities believe Shah killed her just before leaving, KHOU said.
Investigators did not make it clear whether Shah and Pandey had a pre-existing relationship.
Prosecutor Rebecca Marshall said, “I can only imagine what Muna’s mother is going through being halfway across the world, so I wanted them to know what would happen in court, what they could expect.”
A GoFundMe campaign has been launched to financially assist Pandey’s mother, Anita, to fly from Nepal to Houston to “say goodbye to her only child and give Muna the farewell she deserves.”
At the time of publication, the crowdfunding campaign had raised more than $36,000.
Shah is being held without bond, according to online court records of the Harris County District Clerk’s Office.
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