Derby Day Murder Solved

A Canadian visitor to the Kentucky Derby was murdered on Saturday, while walking from Churchill Downs back to his hotel, on Phillips Lane, with a friend. Scott Hunter, a 49-year-old Toronto bartender, died of multiple gunshot wounds.

After extensive police work over the weekend, Louisville Metro Police announced today that three individuals have been arrested and charged with the Hunter murder, along with a string of armed robberies committed in Louisville over the past several days. Jihad Wali Muhammad, also known as Tyrone Thomas, Jr., is charged with one count of complicity to murder and 12 counts of complicity to robbery. Thomas’ girlfriend, Fatima Abu-Diab, and her brother, Fahed Abu-Diab are each charged with one count of murder and 12 counts of robbery. In addition, Fatima and Fahed Abu-Diab are each facing drug charges.

According to Lt. Todd Kessinger, of the LMPD Homicide Unit, the three suspects were interviewed by police and gave statements indicating their involvement in the robberies and homicide. Apparently, the trio had been committing robberies all weekend. "They were driving down Phillips Lane and saw the two victims walking on the side of the road and that's when they got out of the vehicle and approached them. They went to rob both victims and, during the robbery, there was a struggle, which time they fired a shot and killed the victim,” said Kessinger.

All three suspects have extensive arrest records, and are being held at Louisville Metro Corrections, and are scheduled to be arraigned on May 5.