On the evening of January 28, 2015, a 56-year-old male gas station attendant named Hany Awad was found dead at the BP gas station where he worked on Jericho Turnpike in Jericho, New York. A customer discovered Mr. Awad's body on the floor behind the counter shortly after 9 p.m. He had been shot in the torso and was pronounced dead at the scene. The investigation into the homicide was immediately launched by the Nassau County Police Department, who suspected the motive was robbery.
The shooting was believed to be connected to a string of recent armed robberies at other nearby gas stations. In the days leading up to Mr. Awad's death, two other BP gas stations in the vicinity had been robbed by a man who fired his weapon in both instances, though no one was injured in those prior events. Investigators worked to determine if the same individual was responsible for all three incidents. Surveillance footage from the Jericho gas station showed a suspect who was approximately 5 feet tall and wearing a mask that concealed his face.
After a nearly five-month-long investigation, authorities arrested 23-year-old Joshua N. Golson-Orelus of Westbury in connection with the murder. He was taken into custody in Utica, New York. Golson-Orelus was charged with first-degree murder, attempted robbery, and criminal possession of a weapon. Police and prosecutors described him as a 'one-man crime wave,' linking him to a total of 10 armed robberies at gas stations and convenience stores in the area.
During the trial of Joshua Golson-Orelus, prosecutors stated that Hany Awad was killed as he tried to fight off the armed robber. They detailed how Golson-Orelus had terrorized numerous clerks, many of whom were immigrants working late-night shifts alone. The investigation had linked Golson-Orelus to the crimes through various means, including ballistics analysis and witness statements. Following his arrest, Golson-Orelus reportedly gave a videotaped confession to the killing. He was ultimately facing the possibility of life in prison without parole for the murder of Hany Awad.
