Prince George's County police
Police officers lead a fellow officer away as he sobbed outside the Prince George's Hospital Center where another officer, shot in the line of duty nearby, was being treated, in Cheverly, Maryland, March 13, 2016. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

KEY POINTS

  • Zena Nichols murdered
  • John Harris is the primary suspect
  • PG County Police have an arrest warrant

Ever since TV made crime shows, murderers have killed people and then burned a room or building in an attempt to make it look like the victim died in a fire. Prince George's County police in Maryland are searching for a suspect who allegedly did the same last week.
The suspect, Jerome John Harris, 42, is still at large. Police said they obtained an arrest warrant on charges of first- and second-degree murder as well as arson.

On April 10, around 10:10 p.m., Prince George's County Fire and Rescue responded to a report of an apartment fire in Chillum, Md., a community bordering North East Washington, DC. Firefighters found smoke coming from the windows of a second-floor apartment. As they worked to extinguish the fire, they discovered the body of a woman with severe burns.
The victim, identified as Zena Nichols, 23, of Washington, D.C., was pronounced dead at the scene. An autopsy revealed that Nichols had suffered multiple gunshot wounds and the death was ruled a homicide.
Harris and Nichols were in a relationship, according to police. Police said the motive for the homicide remains under investigation. A reward of up to $25,000 is being offered for information that leads to the arrest and indictment of Harris.