Omaha Police have arrested Abdulmalik Husain, 67, in connection with a 1979 double-murder case involving Deroshia Matthews, a 26-year-old teacher’s aide, and her 7-year-old son, Kamal Matthews. Husain, who was previously known as Louis Walker, was taken into custody on Wednesday and booked into Douglas County Corrections on charges related to the deaths.
The case dates back to April 24, 1979, when officers responded to a possible abduction and burglary report at a residence near 42nd Avenue and Binney Street. Upon arrival, police discovered that the house had been ransacked, with contents of drawers scattered across the floors. Deroshia Matthews and her son Kamal were found dead inside the home — the boy lying on the bedroom floor and his mother in the basement corner.
At the time of the murders, Deroshia Matthews had been a teacher’s aide at Clifton Hills School and also worked with the Omaha Girl’s Club. She had a passion for music and psychology, having studied at Jackson State University. Her son Kamal was a second-grader at the school and enjoyed riding his bike and reading comic books.
Police recently made a breakthrough in the case after DNA testing led to Husain’s arrest. Interestingly, Husain had previously been arrested under the name Louis Walker in 2004 for charges connected to the Matthews’ deaths. In addition, court records from 2019 listed him with an Omaha address, and he had been involved in a legal dispute with a bank over a debt.
OPD Chief Todd Schmaderer expressed the department’s commitment to solving the case, stating, “Murders are never forgotten, and justice has no expiration date.” He emphasized that the nature of the crime — including the murder of a child — kept the investigation at the forefront of their efforts.
Husain’s arrest marks a significant step toward justice for the victims, and the investigation is ongoing.
