(WWJ) — A Southfield man has been convicted of murdering a 77-year-old man and setting his body on fire in 2018.
Last Friday a Wayne County jury found 53-year-old Reginald Ramsey guilty of second-degree murder for the death of Thomas Ellis.
In May 2018 Ramsey broke into the victim’s Detroit home searching for his wife, who was a family member, according to Attorney General Dana Nessel’s office.
During the break-in, the AG’s office says the two got into a struggle and Ramsey killed Ellis. He then took Ellis’ body to a nearby alley and set him on fire.
His burned body was found several days later in the alley on Mansfield. To identify the remains, an anthropologist was consulted to determine the race, height, weight, and gender of the remains, and a forensic dentist was consulted to confirm the identity, according to the AG’s office.
Ramsey was not charged until more than a year after the murder.
“I am grateful to the prosecutors in my office for pursuing these charges and commend the jury for their service,” Nessel said, per a press release. “While I know nothing can bring back Mr. Ellis, whose life was tragically lost, I hope the verdict offers a sense of closure for his loved ones.”
Ramsey is scheduled to be sentenced on July 10.
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