A 24-year-old Texan man has been sentenced to 45 years in prison for his involvement in the murder of a former high school classmate.
The victim, 22-year-old Zuhyr Hamza Kaleem (pictured above), disappeared in April 2019, and his charred remains were discovered in a shallow grave a year later.
This tragic case was rooted in a dispute over marijuana and a small sum of money.
Jose Varela received the 45-year prison sentence after pleading guilty to the murder of Kaleem.
The Harris County District Attorney, Kim Ogg, characterized it as a premeditated murder that left Kaleem's family in anguish for over a year. Through the combined efforts of law enforcement and the victim's family, justice was eventually served in this distressing case.
Jose Varela, Suspect
Varela and Kaleem had been classmates at Cypress Lakes High School and had arranged to meet at Varela's residence for a marijuana transaction.
Tragically, during this encounter, Kaleem lost his life when Eric Aguilar, another individual present, fatally shot him.
Aguilar claimed that Kaleem had drawn a weapon on them, leading to the fatal discharge, as reported by local ABC affiliate KTKR.
Following the murder, Varela and Aguilar transported Kaleem's body to Grimes County, where it was subjected to burning. Varela subsequently drove Kaleem's car to Mexico and abandoned it there.
Kaleem's family reported him missing, deeply puzzled by his prolonged absence. He was a student at Lone Star College with aspirations of attending the University of Houston, according to KTRK.
Prosecutors were able to connect Varela to the case when Kaleem's brothers, skilled software engineers, identified him as the last person to have had contact with the victim.
A year after Kaleem's disappearance, the Harris County Sheriff's Office located his remains on a property in Grimes County, leading to charges in the case. In November, Aguilar was sentenced to life in prison without parole, while the trial for a third suspect, Austin Walker, is pending.
Another individual residing on the property where the remains were found admitted to burying the body and was charged with tampering, according to KTRK.
Assistant District Attorney Tiffany Dupree emphasized that these defendants had believed they had escaped justice and moved on with their lives.
However, they underestimated the relentless pursuit of Kaleem's whereabouts by his family and law enforcement.
The victim's family endured a year of uncertainty and hope, only to discover that Kaleem's remains had been burned over a dispute involving marijuana and a meager sum of money.
In memory of Kaleem, his family and friends initiated a fundraiser to construct a water filtration plant in Pakistan, enabling him to continue contributing to the betterment of those in need.
The fundraising effort reflects the lasting impact of Zuhyr Hamza Kaleem's positive influence on those who knew him.
In another news, a Nigerian university student has been accused of brutally stabbing his girlfriend to death after an altercation. See detailed story here
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