Body found burning in east Houston

HOUSTON (FOX 26) - It's a real 'Who done it?' It all unfolded behind Melba Barnes' apartment on Market Street in east Houston, a place she says is usually quiet, but wasn't on Thursday night.

"I didn't see anything," said Barnes. "I heard lot of commotion during the night because I don't  sleep that well. I could hear everything and I heard everything. I don't know what it was but it sounded like someone fell down the stairs."

That was before 2:30 a.m. Friday, Barnes had guessed. She said at around 5:30 a.m., her boyfriend went to take out the trash and he saw a fire. He was about to put it out when he noticed it was a burning body covered in a blanket and he contacted 911 by phone. Police say the commotion was a fight between the victim and someone else. They don't know who fought with the victim or even who the victim is because he was not carrying any identification, had no tattoos or anything distinctive about him. He is just a man in his late thirties or early forties and was badly beaten.

"We're going to have to run DNA tests on the blanket and any pieces of clothing that were still intact," says Houston Police Department Detective Christopher Elder. "We found a couple of blood spots on his body and make sure it's him." 

This is real life and not a television show. DNA tests take awhile to complete. Unless someone comes forward, his identity and the motive for his murder will be a mystery. As for Barnes, she isn't interested in sticking around until it's solved.

"We've never had an incident like this around here and then suddenly, boom! It's scary, making me want to move... "