On Friday, January 09, 2009, the Sacramento Police Department’s Cold Case Homicide unit obtained an arrest warrant on 42 year old Luis Sousa for the 2001 murder of Hugh Denna.

On 3/2/01, at 4:57 p.m, the Sacramento Police Department responded to two subjects fighting in the alley near 2014 14th Street. Officers arrived and found Hugh Denna suffering from stab wounds. Denna was later pronounced deceased at UCD Medical Center. The suspect was described as a male, Hispanic, 30’s, 5’11” average build, bushy black hair, wearing a blue sweatshirt over a white t-shirt, and blue jeans.

In October of 2006, Cold Case Detective Pat Keller reviewed the homicide case and requested a check for foreign DNA to be examined that was located on the victim. In December of 2008, a match of the foreign DNA resulted in the identification of Luis Duarte Sousa. Detective Keller was able to conduct further investigation and link Sousa to the murder of Hugh Denna.

Luis Sousa was on parole in 2001 at the time of the homicide. Sousa is currently in State Prison for unrelated charges.