'Storage Wars: Miami' Was Canceled After One Season — Possibly Due to This Murder Case
Updated Sept. 18 2020, 12:29 p.m. ET
Kevin Pew
Hit reality show Storage Wars captures the heated fights auction hunters like Dave Hester get involved in with the purpose of scoring an abandoned storage unit stacked with rare treasures.
The intriguing show has a murky history to it, however. In some cases, the stars became the victim of a crime. For instance, Dan and Laura Dotson's bank accounts were hacked in 2012. But others have found themselves in worse predicaments. Take Kevin Pew, whose son was arrested for first-degree murder in 2015.
A 'Storage Wars: Miami' viewing party became the scene of a cold-blooded murder in 2015.
On Oct. 13, 2015, Kevin's son, Hashim Saeed Pew, grabbed a 45-caliber semiautomatic handgun and proceeded to shoot 19-year-old Janel Hamilton, an extended family member also in attendance at a Storage Wars: Miami viewing party held at Kevin's house on 2028 North Douglas Road, Pembroke Pines, Fla.
Kevin Pew
Storage Wars: Miami premiered on Oct. 6, 2015. The family, including Kevin, his son, Hashim Saeed Pew, Janel, an unidentified man, and a woman gathered together to celebrate Kevin's newly landed role on the Storage Wars spinoff.
As per WPLG, Hashim Saeed Pew was seated on a barstool behind Janel. The 23-year-old man launched the attack when Janel got up to grab a blanket. He shot her once again after she collapsed on the floor. The motifs behind the murder remain unknown. It's understood that there were no domestic disputes taking place before the grisly incident.
"She's dead as f------ dawg," he yelled out, according to an arrest report cited by CBS News.
Janel would have turned 20 in a few weeks' time. According to outlets like Miami New Times, she moved to Florida from London with the hope of pursuing a law degree at the Kennesaw State University, starting in January 2016. She was working at a Macy's store located inside the Pembroke Lakes Mall at the time.
Hashim Saeed Pew was arrested by the police arriving on the scene.
"The family, from what I understand, was at the father’s house to watch the episode that he was going to appear in on TV [...] The victim was sitting on the sofa in front of the suspect. She got up to get a blanket because she was cold, and he, unprovoked, shot her," a police spokesperson told FOX411 at the time, as per Fox News.
It's uncertain where Hashim Saeed Pew's case stands today.
On Jan. 4, 2016, a Broward County judge deemed Hashim Saeed Pew to be incompetent to stand trial. He was remanded into the custody of the Department of Children and Families for treatment to "attain competence to proceed," as is stated in court documents cited by WPLG.
It's uncertain if he was found to be competent to stand trial at a later time, or if he was still receiving treatment from The Florida Department of Children and Families.
Storage Wars: Miami was canceled after just one season. It's uncertain if it had to do with the tragedy, or if there were other reasons behind the decision.
