The body of a black male was found burning in a trash bin on the morning of June 23 and police are still investigating the circumstances.
The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner determined the male was fatally shot before he was burned in the trash can in the 1200 block of Holbrook Terrace, NE.
According to the Washington Post, Officer Sean Hickman, a D.C. police spokesman, said the body was found about 5:40 a.m., about a block from West Virginia Avenue and the campus of Gallaudet University.
Police were initially alerted to the crime when firefighters—called to the scene by neighbors complaining about a trash can fire—found the body after extinguishing the flames. The body had been burned beyond recognition, initially preventing police from determining the sex and cause of death of the victim, according to the article. In an interview with ABC7 News, Police Chief Cathy Lanier stated that the crime is “unusual” as the area has been extremely quiet.
