Chilling murder on Detroit's northwest side

At 2:50 AM on Monday morning police and fire fighters were called to a home on the 20500 block of Bentler on Detroit's northwest side. What they thought was just a fire, turned out to be a far more gruesome scene. 

Paul Monchnik, a 91-year old who lived alone in the home, was found dead, apparently after being shot in the head, beaten and doused in gasoline before the house was set on fire. 

Sgt. Michael Woody told the Detroit News that "Investigators found that the body was covered with an accelerant, most likely gasoline, and that it had sustained potentially fatal trauma to the body prior to being set on fire,” Woody said. “There are indications that the house was broken into and that there was a robbery. A van belonging to the victim was also missing.”

The van was the only possession that was stolen and according to the police it, as well as a suspect, were caught on tape at a local gas station shortly after the crime.

Chief James Craig told the News that the department's current theory is a burglary was taken place when Monchnik walked in on the scene and was attacked. "In order for the suspect to cover his tracks, he decided to go leave the location, obtain some gasoline, return and set the victim and the home on fire,"  Craig told the News. 

The story is chilling to say the least. Read more about it here.