WARNING: This article contains graphic descriptions of violence that could be disturbing for some readers.

Officials identified a man who currently lives in India as the suspect in the deadly stabbings of a woman and her son in Maple Shade, New Jersey, eight years ago.

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Nazeer Hameed, 38, is charged with murder, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, and unlawful possession of a weapon in connection to the deaths of Sasikala Narra, 38, and her 6-year-old son Anish Narra, officials announced during a press conference on Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2025.

On March 23, 2017, Maple Shade Police were called to an apartment complex along Hamilton Road. Hanumanth Narra, the husband and father of Sasikala and Anish Narra respectively, found his wife and son in a pool of blood on a bed inside the apartment. He then called 911.

An autopsy determined the victims died from multiple stab wounds to their necks. Investigators said Anish Narra was “nearly decapitated” by his attacker. Investigators also said both victims had several defensive wounds.

“The scene that day was unimaginable,” Maple Shade Police Chief Christopher Fletcher said. “Those who responded saw the carnage of a mother and her young child who spent their final moments fighting for their lives.”

After analyzing cellphone records and other evidence, police identified Nazeer Hameed as a person of interest in the case. Investigators said Hameed worked with Hanumanth Narra at Cognizant Technology Solutions, in Teaneck, New Jersey, and the two men did consulting work for a Philadelphia-based business. Police determined Hameed lived within walking distance of the victims and had been stalking Hanumanth Narra prior to the murders.  

In September 2017, six months after the murders, Hameed returned to his native India, investigators said. The announcement of the charges against Hameed was delayed as officials attempted to gain more evidence and work with law enforcement partners to seek extradition.

In June 2019, a report confirmed that an unknown drop of blood from the murder scene was the same blood type as Hameed’s. The report also confirmed the blood didn’t belong to the murder victims and that it matched a man of Central Asian ancestry, officials said.

Multiple attempts were made to collaborate with Indian officials to collect a DNA sample from Hameed. Those attempts failed, however. Then in October 2020, the Central Bureau of Investigation in India told the FBI that Hameed refused to provide a DNA sample, officials said.

In March 2023, a Mutual Legal Assistance request was made to the Indian government asking that Hameed’s DNA be collected via a court order. Then in May 2023, the U.S. Department of Justice received acknowledgement from the Indian Ministry of Home Affairs that they had received the request though it was never fulfilled, officials said.

In November 2023, Cognizant Technological Solutions confirmed Hameed was still an employee of the company and that he worked at their location in Chennai, India, officials said. After being served a subpoena, Cognizant gave investigators Hameed’s company-issued laptop in September 2024, officials said. After the laptop arrived in the U.S. in October 2024, law enforcement officials obtained it and it was transported to the New Jersey State Police DNA Laboratory in Hamilton, New Jersey.

After a judge authorized a search warrant, investigators determined the blood droplet collected from the murder scene matched the DNA sample from Hameed’s laptop in December 2024, officials said.

“This development provided strong physical evidence that confirmed what our investigation had already determined,” Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office Lieutenant Brian Cunningham said. “Nazeer Hameed went to the Narra apartment and brutally murdered Sasikala and her son, Anish.”

While Hameed now faces charges, officials continue to work to get him back to the United States.

“He committed this crime, there is no doubt in our minds that he is responsible,” Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office Chief of Investigations Patrick Thornton said. “We are hopeful that he will be extradited. I can’t imagine the powers that be in India want to protect a man who nearly decapitated a 6-year-old child after killing his mother in front of him.”

The U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Department of State share the authority of seeking extradition of a criminal defendant from another country. An extradition treaty between the U.S. and India that took effect in 1999 provides the legal framework for the two countries to cooperate in the surrender of people accused or convicted of crimes that meet a specific criteria, officials said.

“We call upon the United States government and the government of India to take swift and decisive action to ensure this individual is extradited without delay to face the charges that await him here,” Burlington County Prosecutor LaChia Bradshaw said. “No border, no distance, and no delay should stand in the way of justice. We urge full cooperation between our nations to demonstrate that those who commit violent crimes cannot flee accountability by crossing oceans.”

The murders of Sasikala and Anish Narra were covered extensively in a popular true crime podcast. While announcing the charges against Hameed, law enforcement officials criticized the podcast, accusing it of misinforming the public by falsely stating that the case had “become stagnant” and that detectives were being “unsympathetic” to the victims due to their Indian background.

“Let me be very clear, our commitment to bringing justice to Sasikala and Anish never wavered,” Chief Fletcher said on Tuesday. “These crimes were an outrage to our community, and to all the investigators who worked on this case.”

Tuesday’s announcement took place at the Indian Cultural Center (ICC) of Southern New Jersey which officials thanked for their ongoing support and help throughout the investigation.

“On behalf of ICC and the Indian community in the South Jersey area, I would like to express our sincere gratitude to the Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office, the Maple Shade Police Department, and all the law enforcement agencies involved in this,” ICC Board of Trustees member Jayesh Parikh said. “We are deeply grateful to everyone involved for their dedication and perseverance over the past eight years, despite the many challenges and setbacks encountered along the way.”

Officials also revealed that Hameed had been fired from his job at Cognizant. Investigators have not yet determined a possible motive behind the killings.

WARNING: This article contains graphic descriptions of violence that could be disturbing for some readers.

Officials identified a man who currently lives in India as the suspect in the deadly stabbings of a woman and her son in Maple Shade, New Jersey, eight years ago.

Léelo en español aquí

Nazeer Hameed, 38, is charged with murder, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, and unlawful possession of a weapon in connection to the deaths of Sasikala Narra, 38, and her 6-year-old son Anish Narra, officials announced during a press conference on Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2025.

On March 23, 2017, Maple Shade Police were called to an apartment complex along Hamilton Road. Hanumanth Narra, the husband and father of Sasikala and Anish Narra respectively, found his wife and son in a pool of blood on a bed inside the apartment. He then called 911.

An autopsy determined the victims died from multiple stab wounds to their necks. Investigators said Anish Narra was “nearly decapitated” by his attacker. Investigators also said both victims had several defensive wounds.

“The scene that day was unimaginable,” Maple Shade Police Chief Christopher Fletcher said. “Those who responded saw the carnage of a mother and her young child who spent their final moments fighting for their lives.”

After analyzing cellphone records and other evidence, police identified Nazeer Hameed as a person of interest in the case. Investigators said Hameed worked with Hanumanth Narra at Cognizant Technology Solutions, in Teaneck, New Jersey, and the two men did consulting work for a Philadelphia-based business. Police determined Hameed lived within walking distance of the victims and had been stalking Hanumanth Narra prior to the murders.  

In September 2017, six months after the murders, Hameed returned to his native India, investigators said. The announcement of the charges against Hameed was delayed as officials attempted to gain more evidence and work with law enforcement partners to seek extradition.

In June 2019, a report confirmed that an unknown drop of blood from the murder scene was the same blood type as Hameed’s. The report also confirmed the blood didn’t belong to the murder victims and that it matched a man of Central Asian ancestry, officials said.

Multiple attempts were made to collaborate with Indian officials to collect a DNA sample from Hameed. Those attempts failed, however. Then in October 2020, the Central Bureau of Investigation in India told the FBI that Hameed refused to provide a DNA sample, officials said.

In March 2023, a Mutual Legal Assistance request was made to the Indian government asking that Hameed’s DNA be collected via a court order. Then in May 2023, the U.S. Department of Justice received acknowledgement from the Indian Ministry of Home Affairs that they had received the request though it was never fulfilled, officials said.

In November 2023, Cognizant Technological Solutions confirmed Hameed was still an employee of the company and that he worked at their location in Chennai, India, officials said. After being served a subpoena, Cognizant gave investigators Hameed’s company-issued laptop in September 2024, officials said. After the laptop arrived in the U.S. in October 2024, law enforcement officials obtained it and it was transported to the New Jersey State Police DNA Laboratory in Hamilton, New Jersey.

After a judge authorized a search warrant, investigators determined the blood droplet collected from the murder scene matched the DNA sample from Hameed’s laptop in December 2024, officials said.

“This development provided strong physical evidence that confirmed what our investigation had already determined,” Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office Lieutenant Brian Cunningham said. “Nazeer Hameed went to the Narra apartment and brutally murdered Sasikala and her son, Anish.”

While Hameed now faces charges, officials continue to work to get him back to the United States.

“He committed this crime, there is no doubt in our minds that he is responsible,” Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office Chief of Investigations Patrick Thornton said. “We are hopeful that he will be extradited. I can’t imagine the powers that be in India want to protect a man who nearly decapitated a 6-year-old child after killing his mother in front of him.”

The U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Department of State share the authority of seeking extradition of a criminal defendant from another country. An extradition treaty between the U.S. and India that took effect in 1999 provides the legal framework for the two countries to cooperate in the surrender of people accused or convicted of crimes that meet a specific criteria, officials said.

“We call upon the United States government and the government of India to take swift and decisive action to ensure this individual is extradited without delay to face the charges that await him here,” Burlington County Prosecutor LaChia Bradshaw said. “No border, no distance, and no delay should stand in the way of justice. We urge full cooperation between our nations to demonstrate that those who commit violent crimes cannot flee accountability by crossing oceans.”

The murders of Sasikala and Anish Narra were covered extensively in a popular true crime podcast. While announcing the charges against Hameed, law enforcement officials criticized the podcast, accusing it of misinforming the public by falsely stating that the case had “become stagnant” and that detectives were being “unsympathetic” to the victims due to their Indian background.

“Let me be very clear, our commitment to bringing justice to Sasikala and Anish never wavered,” Chief Fletcher said on Tuesday. “These crimes were an outrage to our community, and to all the investigators who worked on this case.”

Tuesday’s announcement took place at the Indian Cultural Center (ICC) of Southern New Jersey which officials thanked for their ongoing support and help throughout the investigation.

“On behalf of ICC and the Indian community in the South Jersey area, I would like to express our sincere gratitude to the Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office, the Maple Shade Police Department, and all the law enforcement agencies involved in this,” ICC Board of Trustees member Jayesh Parikh said. “We are deeply grateful to everyone involved for their dedication and perseverance over the past eight years, despite the many challenges and setbacks encountered along the way.”

Officials also revealed that Hameed had been fired from his job at Cognizant. Investigators have not yet determined a possible motive behind the killings.