A man police describe as a homeless transient with a “lengthy criminal history” is charged with first-degree murder in the death of Susie Zhao, 33, who made a name for herself in the professional poker playing circuit before her life came to a horrific end.

Jeffery Morris 

Jeffery Bernard Morris, 60 — whose past run-ins with the law include a 1989 conviction for rape in Pontiac — was denied bond at his arraignment Tuesday before Judge Kelley Kostin of 52-2 District Court.

Morris was most recently was staying in Pontiac, police said.

The burnt remains of Zhao were found July 13 in a DNR parking lot in White Lake Township. Her cause of death is pending toxicology results, according to the Oakland County Medical Examiner’s Office.

Det. Christopher Hild of the White Lake Police Department said tips and canvassing witnesses led investigators to link Morris with Zhao, but as the investigation is continuing he isn’t yet releasing details on what, if any, relationship the two had. However, Hild said, it’s believed they had been together at the Sherwood Motel in Waterford Township, where Zhao was known to frequent. Hild also declined to disclose what, if any, evidence was gathered from the motel room where Zhao had been staying.

Hild said Zhao moved from Los Angeles to Michigan in June or earlier and had been living off-and-on with her parents at their Waterford Township home. It’s been reported that friends said she had relocated to deal with challenges in her personal life.

“We’re piecing together when she came back from California to Michigan,” he said.

Investigators haven’t found any evidence that links her murder to her poker playing, Hild said.

Several law enforcement agencies including the FBI, Oakland County Sheriff’s Office and Waterford Police Department assisted White Lake police working the case, which Hild said was “an exhausting 24 days of investigation.” After Morris was identified as a suspect, he was arrested at around 9 a.m. July 31 as he drove along I-275 near Michigan Avenue as police executed a search warrant on his 2008 Audi.

Hild said Morris was jailed following an interview with detectives and so far has refused to talk further with investigators.

He was hospitalized Tuesday for an undisclosed reason but was expected to be released soon and transported to the Oakland County Jail, Hild said Wednesday.

Morris’ next court date is Aug. 18 for a probable cause conference.

Hild said his department sends its deepest condolences to Zhao’s family and friends.

“We can only hope that where we are today brings some level of comfort to the healing process,” he said.

‘A beginning in the pursuit of justice’

While having Morris in custody is a relief, Hild said, the case isn’t over as investigators sift through the large number of tips that they’ve received and seek additional information from the public.

“This is not the end, rather a beginning in the pursuit of justice for Susie and her family,” Hild said.

Anyone with information related to the investigation is asked to contact Hild at 248-698-4400, ext. 2381.

Zhao was known on the professional poker playing circuit as “Susie Q”, including runs on The World Series of Poker Main Events. She had live earnings of $224,671, according to Herndon Mob, a poker database.

Zhao’s Facebook page states that she attended Bloomfield Hills’ Cranbrook Kingswood School and went on to study psychology at Northwestern University. It also states that she lived in Los Angeles and is originally from Beijing, China. Her last Facebook post was in 2017.