OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) – The Omaha Police Officer’s Association is reporting the murder of a deacon at St. Peter’s Catholic Church.
In a social media post Friday morning, OPOA said John Zak was murdered in Omaha on Wednesday night.
Omaha police took a man into custody Thursday following a vehicle pursuit tied to an investigation into Zak’s death.
Officers responding to a missing persons call went to a home near 36th and Cass streets at about 11:30 p.m. Wednesday and found the body of a man, identified as Zak.
The investigation led police to search for a blue Mazda SUV. Officers spotted the vehicle near 13th Street and Interstate 80 at about 8:30 a.m. Thursday and attempted a traffic stop.
The driver sped away, but the pursuit ended near 11th and Martha streets, where a man was taken into custody.
“Outstanding investigative work by our detectives helped quickly identify a person of interest. When uniformed patrol officers spotted the individual Thursday morning, they pursued him until a person of interest was taken into custody,” OPOA writes in the post.
A family member, Martin Zak, 36, was booked in the Douglas County jail Thursday night on charges of criminal homicide, operating a motor vehicle to avoid arrest, and felony theft by unlawful taking.
In a statement online, St. Peter’s Church said Zak’s death was a great shock to his family and their parish.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the OPD Homicide Unit at 402-444-5656. Anonymous tips can be submitted to Omaha Crime Stoppers at 402-444-7867, on the P3 Tips app, or online.
Omaha Police had a home near 36th and Cass streets taped off Thursday morning, March 12, 2026. OPD is investigating a homicide after a missing person case led them to discover a body at the home near 36th and Cass streets.(Ron Johnson / WOWT)
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