PORTLAND, Maine — Saturday will mark two weeks since Isahak Muse was shot and killed in a Milton Street home in Portland.
Details surrounding the 22-year-old's death are limited, but Portland Police Chief Vern Mallach says one thing is certain, his team is working tirelessly to get answers.
"There's a lot of physical evidence that we are processing and evaluating," Chief Malloch said. "There were a lot of individuals that were in the residence that night that we are interviewing and speaking with."
Malloch says the case is very complex and processing all the evidence could take weeks.
But the family of Muse told, Essence Magazine they are frustrated with the slow pace of the investigation and have enlisted the help of a civil rights attorney.
Muse' sister Awo Muse told Essence Magazine, “The police are not releasing any information as far as who was in the home, what happened, or who got shot. Obviously, my brother is the one that got shot, but we don’t know who shot him, or who pulled the trigger".
Chief Malloch says he completely understands the family's frustration, saying they are going through a great loss.
"I think their frustrations come from a good place," Malloch said. "They've lost a son, a brother, a young man...they are suffering, and we understand that." Malloch says the department can only release so much information, they have to be careful because it could potentially compromise the investigation.
"We're very sensitive to the Muse family's desire to have more information, but we're also sensitive to preserving the integrity of the investigation." Chief Malloch said.
His team of investigators is working with members of the Medical Examiner's office, the Attorney General's office and those with the Maine State Police Crime Lab to piece together what happened that night.
Malloch says no decision about who to charge or what to charge them will be done until all the evidence is processed, then it is up to the Attorney General's Office.
Requests for an interview with the Muse family have been declined.
Updates to the case will be provided as they become available. Police do not believe the public is in danger.