(Editor’s note: The following is a press release from the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office.)
Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin R. Steele and Lansdale Borough Police Chief Michael B. Trail announce the charging of Shamsuzzaman Mollah, 34, of Lansdale, with Abuse of Corpse and other charges related to the death of barber Daniel Torres, found dead in the trunk of his vehicle parked at the Twin Pines Apartments in Lansdale.
Torres was found on May 9, 2018, after having been reported missing by his mother on May 3. Lansdale Borough Police responded to a call from a resident at 12:16 p.m. on May 9 regarding a Nissan Altima that hadn’t been moved since being parked on April 29. The resident had witnessed the driver and sole occupant get out of the vehicle on April 29 wearing a hooded sweatshirt, with the hood up and synched closed. Torres was found deceased inside the trunk of his vehicle, hidden inside an oversized plastic contractor bag.
An autopsy was conducted on the body of Torres on May 10, 2018. Dr. Marianne Hammel, a forensic pathologist with the Montgomery County Coroner’s Office, found no signs of trauma and noted the presence of opioids and ethanol in Torres’ toxicology, leading Dr. Hammel to opine that Torres may have died as a result of opioid and ethanol intoxication. The cause and manner of death were found to be undetermined.
A joint investigation by the Montgomery County Detective Bureau and the Lansdale Police found that Torres, Mollah and another friend allegedly went to Creekside Cabaret in Colmar, Pa., on the evening of April 28, 2018. Mollah and Torres allegedly returned to Mollah’s residence on Elm Drive in Lansdale in the early morning hours of April 29, 2018, where Torres died. Detectives learned that at the time of Torres’ death, Mollah was under the supervision of the Montgomery County Adult Probation. Fearing that Torres’ death in his residence would cause a violation of his probation, Mollah allegedly hid the body inside the trunk of the Torres’ Nissan Altima and drove the car to the Twin Pines Apartment parking lot, where it sat undetected until a resident reported the vehicle to the Lansdale Police.
Mollah was arrested and charged with Abuse of Corpse, Unauthorized Use of Motor Vehicle and Theft by Unlawful Taking. The defendant was arraigned by Magisterial District Judge Edward Levine, who set bail at $20,000 cash. Mollah was unable post bail and was remanded to the Montgomery County Correctional Facility. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for 1 p.m. on Nov. 8, 2019, before Judge Levine.
The case will be prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Scott Frank Frame.
See also:
Lansdale Police Continue to Seek Leads in the Death of Danny Torres
Police Uncover Drugs, Counterfeit Currency During Traffic Stop In Montgomery Township
Mother Accused Of Child Endangerment After Driving Drunk, High With Child In Car: Police
Two Brothers Accused Of Kidnapping, Raping Teen Boy In Towamencin
Hatfield Police Make Arrest In Attempted Residential Burglary Incident
