Detroit resident found shot to death inside home, holding ice pick

Family came to his house after not hearing from him only to discover his body

DETROIT – Police officials are investigating the circumstances surrounding the death of an 53-year-old man found in his home holding an ice pick.

The man's body was found inside his house on Cortland Street, still holding an ice pick in his hand, despite a gunshot wound to his head. A 9mm casing was found nearby.

"All I know is it's quiet around here," James Willis, the man's neighbor, said. "Very seldom you hear anything bad happening."

Willis lives a few doors down from where the shooting took place. Last night, just before 9 p.m., he saw the aftermath of what occurred. 

"There were three cop cars," Willis said. "An ambulance and a fire truck came and the hung around there for quite a while."

Police say family members of the man went to his house because they hadn't heard from him. When they arrived, they found the door open and their loved one dead in his living room with trauma to his body and an ice pick in his hand. The house was ransacked. 

Investigators arrived shortly thereafter and pronounced the man dead at the scene.

"He just moved in about two years ago, so I don't know too much about him," Willis said. "He was a nice guy. That's all I knew."

Willis said the man kept to himself and didn't bother anyone. Police gathered what evidence they could from the scene to try to track down whoever is responsible. 


About the Authors:

Koco joined the Local 4 News team in September of 2016. She was born and raised in Metro Detroit, attended Central Michigan University, and previously worked at WOOD-TV in Grand Rapids.