Before he was murdered inside his own home for no good reason, an assistant Wayne County medical examiner had revealed that the victim might have been forced to drink gasoline.
Now, Police officers in Detroit, Michigan, were shocked by this gruesome discovery after revealing that the suspected murderer made his 91-year-old victim drink before ending his life.
The victim, Paul Monchnik, a retired TV repairman, was found dead by Detroit officers in his home after he was brutally beaten to death before being set on fire to burn.
Authorities believe that before beating him to death and burning his corpse, his teenage killer forced Monchnik to drink the fluid, as Dr. Kilak Kesha who disclosed the autopsy report to the public, stating that the 91-year-old man had around a fifth of a cup of a byproduct from an accelerant like gasoline in his body when he passed away.
Now, Monchick, who chose to live out his old age in Detroit, according to Judge Kenneth King that it was heartbreaking, Monchick was murdered in such a violent and cruel manner.
Kesha testified in 36th District Court, she said, “It would have to come through the mouth, the victim could have drank it or (had it put into his open mouth while he was unconscious).”
On January 5, the primary suspect in the murder case stood before a judge and jury, facing charges of first-degree murder, felony murder, and burning a dwelling. The criminal has been identified as 17-year-old George Steward IV.
Steward is accused of breaking into Monchnik’s house with the intent to rob him. However, things quickly took a turn for the worst. The murder occurred two months prior, on November 23.
At some point during the dispute, Steward struck the old man in the head and battered him. In order to hide the evidence he left behind, he also bought gasoline from a nearby gas station and used it to light the old TV repairman’s house on fire.
Monchnik was already dead when police showed up at his home. The majority of the man was covered in burns. Over eighty percent of his body was burned, which ranged in severity from first-degree to fourth-degree, and had been badly beaten.
“This was a horrific, tragic murder of an elderly man who did nothing wrong,” Worthy said, saying that the word “heinous” barely describes the murder of the elderly victim. “The defendant must be made to pay for his actions.”
The trial is still going on, and no decision has been made. But if found guilty, Steward will probably receive a severe punishment, he will automatically be sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, if Steward is convicted of first-degree murder.
No matter what the outcome of the trial is, one thing is certain: Paul Monchnik’s life was ended in a cruel and unusual manner by a heartless killer. His death has left his family and friends devastated and the Detroit community reeling.
It is yet another tragic example of the violence that plagues cities like Detroit. Hopefully, justice will be served in this case, and Monchnik’s killer will be brought to justice.
Watch the video report below for more details:
Sources: AWM, Detroitnews