Bakari Abiona Moncrief, a 29-year-old out-of-state resident who police said was in town visiting relatives from another city, allegedly attacked and killed a 43-year-old cancer researcher in early August when she was out on her routine morning jog along Chisholm Trail in Plano, according to an arrest affidavit.
The Plano murder rocked the community.
Sarmistha Sen, 43, who was found near the creek under Legacy Drive where she was possibly moved to during the attack, died as a result of “blunt force injuries,” based on a ruling from the medical examiner and possible weapons found at the scene.
Moncrief had been listed as a person of interest in the attack. He was arrested the day of the incident in connection to a nearby burglary that occurred earlier that morning. About two weeks later he was charged with her murder.
Last week, a Collin County grand jury indicted Moncrief on a capital murder charge.
Sen’s husband, Arindam Roy, did not offer any comment Monday about the indictment. He spends most days being the best parent he can be to their two boys, 12-year-old Neil and 6-year-old Ryan.
An outpouring of support from across the Dallas-Fort Worth area has followed the attack of Sen, a clinical research manager in the radiation/oncology department at UT Southwestern. Friends and family have said she was motivated to work in cancer research because her mother was a cancer survivor.
Shortly after the incident in the summer, more than 1,000 shoes were placed near the site along the trail as a temporary memorial to Sen.
In the months that followed, more than $50,000 has been raised as part of a public fund that the family has agreed to match. UT Southwestern is spearheading a $500,000 endowment in Sen’s name focused in areas of cancer research, according to a Caring Bridge site set up by the family.
The family is also talking with the city of Plano about putting up a bench along Chisholm Trail in Sen's honor and hopes to hold an annual community walk/run to raise awareness about the incident.
In a video montage dedicated to his mother, Neil Sen said, “My mom was a great person. A great mother, a great wife, a great everything, a great friend to everyone in need.”
