Watch CBS News

Man Found Dead In Burned Detroit House

DETROIT (WWJ) - Detroit homicide investigators are looking into why a man had been shot and his body discovered inside a burning home late Monday night on the city's west side.

A family member identified the victim as Robert Lee Nix. He was staying at the otherwise vacant home at the corner of West Chicago and Petoskey near I-96.

Nathan Nix (WWJ Photo: Ron Dewey)

His older brother Nathan Nix said Robert had actually been shot three weeks earlier and recovered.  He said he doesn't know who would do this.

"He assured me that he hadn't did anything to anybody ... that it really was a mistaken identity," Nix told WWJ Newsradio 950's Ron Dewey. "Just the other day he hugged me and he said, 'I love you, brother,' and he said, 'I love you, too'," he said.

"I always just told him to be careful out here, you know, it's hard ... people doing all kinds of crazy stuff. He wasn't no type of person to hut nobody or to do nothing to deserve something like this," Nix said. "You know, whoever did this to him, that was dirty. The way they're doing people now ... it's just not right."

Neighbors also said the victim didn't get into trouble and didn't know why he would be targeted.

Detroit Police are investigating.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.