Burned body discovered in home
GARLAND -- Garland police detectives are trying to solve the mystery of a man found dead inside a burned out residence that appears to have been his home.
At first, police thought the man died in a fire. Now they believe someone may have murdered him.
Police discovered the man after going to the home on a welfare check. The first thing they noticed were the edges of the front door, appearing charred from smoke.
Garland police spokesman Joe Harn told News 8 they found the man's body inside the front door of a house in the 3400 block of Hillsdale Lane Wednesday night.
Right now, police detectives await autopsy results for the exact cause of death and to confirm what they already suspect.
They also awaited confirmation on the man's identity.
Harn said the body appeared badly burned, but the victim resembled photos they found of the homeowner.
Police said the front room of the home, along with the den, also appeared very badly burned, ceiling to floor.
Neighbors are trying to understand what could have happened to their neighbor. They tell News 8 he has lived there about two years and was very friendly. He was often seen out in the yard, taking excellent care of his home.
“Very friendly,” said Leticia Manriquez, neighbor who described her neighbor.
Manriquez, like other neighbors said, the man always left the lights on inside his home night or day. Occasionally she said a woman and a little girl would come to visit, joining their neighbor out in the yard.
Neighbors also said they never saw anything that raised their suspicions this week.
However, Manriquez did offer police one new clue today. She told News 8 she first spotted the charred front door on Monday. On that same day she noticed the lights weren't on, either. Manriquez said she clearly remembers that on Sunday, everything appeared normal.
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