A 51-year-old man, Bobby Singh Shah, has been charged with capital murder in connection with the death of a 21-year-old Texas college student, Muna Pandey. Shah, who has a history of frequenting dating websites that pair wealthy older men with younger women, was identified by a woman who claimed to have met him on one such site, according to court documents.
Pandey, a native of Nepal and a student at a community college, was discovered in her southwest Houston apartment with a fatal gunshot wound to the back of her head. Friends of the victim informed the Houston police that Pandey, who lived alone, had installed a surveillance camera outside her front door after a previous stalking incident.
The surveillance footage reportedly showed Shah entering and leaving Pandey’s apartment. The police arrested Shah on Wednesday following the release of the footage. The video also allegedly captured a chilling exchange between Pandey and a man holding a gun, with Pandey asking, “What are you going to do?”
According to the police, the suspect then forced Pandey into the apartment at gunpoint around 8:41 p.m. and left approximately an hour later, carrying her black purse. The Houston police received a tip from a woman who recognized Shah from the released footage. She claimed to have met Shah on a “sugar daddy” dating website 12 years ago.
The police believe that Pandey knew her attacker and that he took her cellphone after the murder. Pandey, who was found with multiple gunshot wounds, was a nursing student at Houston Community College and also worked at a local phone store.
Friends and family of Pandey are demanding justice. Orusha Niraula, a former roommate of Pandey, remembered her in a Facebook post as someone who was “always full of life, kindness, and joy.”