Man charged with capital murder in death of Plano jogger
PLANO, Texas - The man suspected of attacking and killing a mother of two in Plano is now charged with capital murder.
Bakari Moncrief, 29, is being held on a $10 million bond for the murder of Sarmistha Sen, 43. The additional charge was announced Monday by Plano police.
DNA evidence from a sweaty handprint has linked a burglary suspect to the attack and killing of a Plano mother of two.
A memorial of running shoes was left at the place where Sen would go running every morning. It’s what she was doing on Aug. 1 along the Chisholm Trail near her home when, an affidavit states, that she was attacked with a deadly weapon and moved more than 100 feet “to the creek under Legacy Drive where she would not likely be found.”
It’s where police believe Sen died of blunt force injuries “consistent with possible murder weapons found at the scene,” according to an affidavit.
Someone running by around 7 a. m. saw Sen’s body and called police.
Sen’s brother, Sumit, spoke to FOX 4 earlier this month about how she was a pharmacist and researcher who studied molecular biology and worked with cancer patients.
“It makes me feel inspired. She’s an inspiration for me. It makes me feel grateful to the community for such generous support,” Sumit said. “Her life is a life full of purpose and it’s not over. Her soul lives on.”
Moncrief was arrested the same morning for a home burglary not far from there in the 3400 block of Michael Drive and was being held on a $1 million bond for that charge.
An affidavit states that a Ring doorbell camera captured Moncrief smash in the window of the front door” with a rock, stating, “I am not [an expletive] coward.”
FOX 4 talked to the burglary victim and obtained the video which appears to show Moncrief making that statement twice at the home.
When police arrested Moncrief at a gas station about a 30-minute walk from the burglarized home, they also noted he made a comment to them about not being a coward.
Detectives say upon further investigating the break-in, they found a TV that had been moved with a sweaty handprint on it.
An affidavit states that through DNA testing, that sweaty handprint “linked the burglary and the homicide investigations together” and “the lab also located the victim’s DNA on Moncrief.”
The Sen family declined to comment on Monday upon news of the capital murder charge.
The affidavit states that investigators spoke with people who know the suspect in the course of the investigation. Those people told police that Moncrief had been exhibiting signs of “potential mental health issues” around the time of the murder.
There is no indication the victim knew her attacker or did anything to provoke him. The motive for both crimes remains unclear.
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