Man Charged in Notorious Murder Case of 6-Year-Old and Mom Who Was Nearly Decapitated | Crime Alert 4PM 11.20.25

An Indian man is charged in New Jersey in a notorious double murder that left a mother and her young son dead in their Maple Shade apartment. A woman in South Carolina is charged with attempted murder after police say she tried to end her pregnancy at 27 weeks. Drew Nelson reports.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Crime a art hourly update breaking.

Speaker 2 (00:02):
Crime news Now.

Speaker 1 (00:03):
I'm Drew Nelson, an Indian national, is charged in New
Jersey in a notorious double murder that left a mother
and her young son dead in their Maple Shade apartment.
The case dates back to March of twenty seventeen, when
police were called to the Fox Meadow apartments where they
found thirty eight year old Sasikala Nara and her six
year old son, Aniche, stabbed to death. Husband and father,
Hanum Nara found the bodies when he came home from work.

(00:26):
Both victims had extensive defensive wounds. Sasikala was nearly decapitated.
Prosecutors now named Nazir Hamid as the suspect. They said
the eight year investigation shifted after new DNA findings linked
him to the crime. Hamid lived in the same apartment
complex he worked with Hanu Nara. Detectives learned that he
had been accused of stalking Hanu. He left for India

(00:47):
about six months after the killings and is still believed
to be there.

Speaker 2 (00:50):
We call upon the United States government and the Government
of India to take swift and decisive action to ensure
that this individual will is extradited without delay.

Speaker 1 (01:02):
That's Burlington County Prosecutor Lichia Bradshaw. The break came from
a company laptop. Detectives tried for years to get a
DNA sample from Hamid. He would not provide one. His
employer later turned over his work computer. A test on
the keyboard matched a blood droplet found at the scene.
Multiple bloodstained samples were collected by detectives in analyzing the blood.

(01:22):
One droplet collected did not belong to either victim or Hanunarra.
That's Lieutenant Brian Cunningham of the Burlington County Prosecutor's Office.
His employer, Cognizant Technology Solutions, supplied the laptop under a
court order. That DNA profile tied Hamid to the scene.
The victim's family, attorney Donald Brown, spoke after the announcement,
it was shocking more than anything else.

Speaker 2 (01:43):
The family is very appreciative of all of the authorities
that they didn't give up, that they kept fighting authorities.

Speaker 1 (01:50):
Holding the announcement at the Indian Cultural Center of South Jersey,
they thanked the local Indian community for help translating and
support during the long investigation. Police they still do not
know the motive as federal officials move forward with the
extradition request. More crime and justice news after this. A

(02:14):
woman in South Carolina is charged with attempted murder after
police says she tried to end her pregnancy at twenty
seven weeks. Police in rock Hill said the case began
on the twelfth that through a nine to one to
one call from a home on Riverview Road, officers and
ems arrived to find a newborn in medical crisis. They
found the mother, who had been twenty seven weeks pregnant,
and learned that she had taken medication to induce labor

(02:34):
with the intention of ending the pregnancy. She is identified
as twenty year old Joscelyn Byram. Emergency responders started life
saving aid on the baby. The infant was taken to
the hospital and was last reported to be in critical condition.
Police said Byram did not give any aid or call
for emergency help after giving birth. She was taken into
custody on Monday, denied bond Tuesday morning. Byram is charged

(02:56):
with attempted murder and unlawful neglect of a child. Police
said she quote took medication to induce labor with the
intention to terminate her pregnancy. Investigators, also writing that she
quote knew she was further along in her pregnancy and
willingly took the medication as she did not want to
have the child. State law in South Carolina prohibits abortion
after cardiac activity is detected, typically at six weeks. There

(03:19):
are exceptions for rape, incest, fatal fetal anomalies, and conditions
that threaten the life of the mother. The exceptions apply
only up to twelve weeks. Lawmakers are now discussing a
near total ban. ABC News reports the proposal would eliminate
current exceptions and could send people to prison for up
to thirty years for ending a pregnancy or helping someone
else end one. A state Senate subcommittee voted against advancing

(03:42):
that version of the bill, though the issue remains under
debate in the state. A mother and her two young
sons in Hawaii remain missing after boarding a bote in
twenty twenty two and never returning to shore. The FBI
is renewing attention to the case of the Bernstein family
because investigators have reached a dead end the family. It
was last seen at the Ala Wi Boat Harbor and
Honolulu in October of twenty two. Witnesses saw the mother,

(04:05):
Abigail board a boat with her sons Koa Kai and
Kushka Hole and the captain. The captain later returning alone.
The FBI says it does not know whether foul play occurred.
A spokeswoman said the captain claimed the family quote got
seasick and departed his vessel by unknown means, possibly another vessel,
but agents have found nothing to confirm that he has
not been charged. Abigail was thirty two at the time,

(04:28):
Koa Kai and Kushkahole were nine and seven. The FBI
said the family lived off the grid. Abigail had cut
ties with relatives and ended her phone service. In November
of twenty twenty two, the boys were not in school.
Agents said Abigail may have been trying to hide from someone.
Record show she filed two temporary restraining orders against the
boy's father, Van der Nelson. The first petition filed in

(04:50):
twenty nineteen. As reported by the True Crime Society blog,
the captain Donald Lang was reported missing in twenty twenty
three and later found safe After a long solo voyage,
Lang wrote, quote, just arrived three hundred and forty eight
days NonStop, about sixteen thousand miles and went on to say, quote,
who's the apple that reported me missing? Can'ton old salt
get some peace and quiet. He remains a person of

(05:12):
interest in the case. Abigail has ties to Maui, Hawaii Island,
and Kawaii. The family also has connections to Florida, Michigan,
and Pennsylvania. The FBI urges anyone with information to contact
the Honolulu Field Office at eight OHT eight six seven
three twenty seven nineteen. For the latest crime and justice news,
follow crime Alerts hourly update on your favorite podcast app

(05:32):
with this crime alert. I'm Drew Nelson.