GUILTY GA - Mesfin Asfaw, 53, found dismembered, Lithonia, May 2007

Created: 5/15/2007 6:49:43 PM Updated: 5/16/2007 1:22:49 PM
She described what she saw -- a body, with dismembered arms and legs. But the head was missing. A gas can was next to the body, which was partially burned. It's not like whoever did it tried to hide it.

"The human remains were found right there on the side of the road, right there, between two houses," said DeKalb police officer Ariel Toledo.

A DeKalb police cadaver dog tried to pick up a scent from the missing body part, but came up empty. The macabre scene peaked neighbors curiosity and fears in the quiet Lithonia neighborhood.

"I just got to be safe now," said neighbor Rene Parrish. "Keep a eye out for anything strange or unusual that happens in the neighborhood."

Without a head, a medical examiner cannot use dental records for identification. From what witnesses said, the remaining body was only partially burned, so investigators will hopefully be able to get fingerprints. If the victim has a criminal record, they should be able to find out who it is -- identity being a critical starting point to the investigation.

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DeKalb County police said they have arrested the roommate of a man whose body was found dismembered and partially burned in Lithonia. The suspect was identified as Renato Adel, 37.
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The victim has been identified as Mesfin Asfaw, 53, of DeKalb County. Because the victim's head was missing, the Medical Examiner had to identify Asfaw through fingerprints.

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A man convicted of killing his roommate, dismembering the body, setting it on fire and then leaving it along the road has been sentenced to life in prison, plus 10 years.

Renato Parungao Adel, 38, was convicted last month of murdering 54-year-old Mesfin Asfaw in May 2007. Adel was also convicted of taking Asfaw’s car.

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