D.C. police have yet to nab the suspect behind a mysterious killing in Logan Circle last week in which the victim was tied up, beaten and then had his apartment set on fire.
Metropolitan Police said they have strong leads in the slaying of Syed Hammad Hussain, 40, but still no arrests after the victim was found inside his smoke-filled apartment in the middle of the night on Wednesday.
A police report said fire crews arrived at the 1400 block of Rhode Island Ave. NW just after 3:30 a.m. for reports of smoke billowing out in the hallway.
Firefighters went door to door investigating the source of the smoke until they came across Apartment 106.
Crew members entered the unlocked unit that was “engulfed in smoke,” the documents said. After putting out a small fire, the emergency workers soon discovered Mr. Hussain’s remains.
“Blood matter was observed about the decedent’s head, on the floor, and on the wall adjacent to him,” the report said. “The decedent was found bound at the wrists and the ankles by neckties.”
Firefighters also radioed D.C. Fire and EMS to say there was a burnt body inside the apartment.
D.C.’s Office of the Medical Examiner is conducting an autopsy on the victim to determine the cause of death.
Mr. Hussain’s killing is the sixth homicide in the District this year — down from the 21 recorded at this time in 2025 — but was the second slaying in two days last week.
On Feb. 11, Metropolitan Police said an ex-boyfriend gunned down a woman in front of her three children near a Glover Park apartment building.
Authorities said Stephon Marquis Jeter had shot Rayven Amuan Edwards and her 10-year-old daughter at about 4:40 p.m. that day.
Ms. Edwards, 34, died at the scene on the 4100 block of W Street NW. Her daughter was rushed to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
One of Ms. Edwards’ sons was not injured in the shooting, but police said Mr. Jeter took the former couple’s 3-year-old son and drove off in his black pickup truck.
Officials said Prince George’s County Police flagged Mr. Jeter’s vehicle at about 6:30 p.m. that night and began chasing after him.
Mr. Jeter drove back into the District before crashing at the intersection of 30th Street and Nash Place in Southeast. Police said when officers approached the truck, they discovered that the 35-year-old had shot and killed himself.
Police were able to find the 3-year-old boy unharmed at a family member’s home in Prince George’s County.
• Matt Delaney can be reached at mdelaney@washingtontimes.com.
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