A year later, police arrest murder suspect

By Charles Sercombe
Some good old-fashioned police work is being credited for the arrest of a suspect connected with the murder of a Bangladesh-American man one year ago.
However, investigators say they can’t say much about the suspect and the circumstances of his arrest because of pending criminal proceedings.
Here’s what can be said so far: Police say that in the early evening of Feb. 3 of 2009, Dione Andre Wade, 24, of Detroit, shot and killed Rafiqul Islam just after Islam parked his car in front of his Prescott St. house.
Detective Mike Szymanski said the arrest was made with the help of the Detroit and Dearborn police departments.
Wade has a long criminal history of assaults and robberies. He was arraigned Wednesday in Hamtramck 31st District Court on charges of first-degree murder, possession of a firearm by a felon and using a firearm in the commission of a felony.
If convicted Wade faces a mandatory sentence of life in prison.
Hamtramck Police Chief Mark Kalinowski held a press conference on Thursday to announce the arrest. Over 20 members of the Bangladeshi community attended the event, with many of them expressing relief that the case appears to be solved.
City Councilmember Shahab Ahmed said although there is no conviction, the arrest gives the community a sense of “closure.”
“Losing a resident is like losing a family member because everyone knows each other,” Ahmed said.
He also praised police investigators for “their hard work and motivation to catch the killer.”
Wade is scheduled for a preliminary examination next Thursday (Feb. 4) at Hamtramck 31st District Court. Szymanski said it’s possible that more details about the case will be revealed at that point. A preliminary examination is a mini-version of a full-scale trial.
Wade is being held in Wayne County Jail with no bond.

One Response to A year later, police arrest murder suspect

  1. J C

    September 20, 2014 at 8:09 am

    Did this awful man get convicted for his evil murder of mr islam?

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