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Man Charged With Murder After Neighbor's Body Found Wrapped In Plastic In Closet

Alex-adamowicz
Alex Adamowicz (Booking Photo)

WALLED LAKE (WWJ/AP) - The body of a metro Detroit man was wrapped in cellophane and hidden in a closet for two to three weeks, a police detective testified Tuesday at a warrant hearing.

Alex Adamowicz, 21, was charged Tuesday with one count of open murder in the death of his neighbor, 51-year-old John Watson. Adamowicz, who is being held without bond, faces a preliminary examination conference Wednesday.

Adamowicz's mother brought him into the Walled Lake police station around midday Sunday — Mother's Day — leading investigators to the discovery of the body.

Detective Anthony Noble told the court that Adamowicz made an effort to conceal Watson's body in plastic wrap "in an attempt to bury that individual."

Adamowicz and Watson lived at the Tivoli Apartments on West Maple Road near Beck Road in Walled Lake. Investigators said it appears the men got into a verbal altercation, during which Adamowicz stabbed Watson in the neck. An autopsy revealed the cause of death to be multiple stab wounds.

Watson's body was found Sunday in the suspect's apartment, Walled Lake Police Chief Paul Shakinas said earlier this week. Several residents in the complex told police they had noticed a foul smell. Investigators said Adamowicz used deodorizers in an attempt to mask the odor.

Adamowicz was arrested Sunday after his mother arrived at his apartment on a Mother's Day visit. She convinced her son to turn himself in, The Oakland Press reported.

"Part of me feels sorry for the mother that showed up there on Mother's Day," Watson's sister, Michele Watson, told the newspaper Tuesday. "Obviously it's totally disgusting, and I can hardly fathom the picture of it all."

TM and © Copyright 2014 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2014 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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