Jul 30, 2008 11:11 pm US/Central
Man's Burned Body Found In Church Basement
CHICAGO (CBS) ―
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Harold Beilstein was found dead in the basement of a West Side building. Police are investigating the incident as a homicide.
CBS
The medical examiner has identified a man found dead in a West Side basement last night.
Harold Beilstein, 69, of Mt. Prospect, was found in the basement of an apartment building at 5350 W. Division St., and pronounced dead on the scene at 9:15 p.m., according to a spokesperson from the Cook County Medical Examiner's office, who initially said the body appeared to be burned.
Neighbors say he was the building's landlord. Bible Way Church--Jesus the Christ is also located at the Division Street address.
Police were notified of the body about 9 p.m., police News Affairs Officer David Banks.
Police had classified the investigation as a death investigation, but are conducting a homicide investigation following an autopsy Wednesday, police News Affairs Officer JoAnn Taylor said. The motive was unknown, as was the offender, Taylor said.
CBS 2 is told a plumber found Beilstein's body lying face up. He had been beaten, and there was a bloody piece of lumber near his head.
The autopsy found that Beilstein suffered multiple injuries caused by blunt trauma to the head and neck. Investigators are trying to determine whether a piece of wood found nearby could have caused those injuries.
Information as to whether or not Beilstein was burned was not immediately available. The Cook County Medical Examiner's office says his clothing was burned. There was no fire reported in the building.
Twenty-four hours earlier, four-year resident Tuesday Baker said she called her landlord to report a strange smell and possible fire.
"I woke up from a strong gas smell that was in my kitchen and it was smoky," Baker said. "I called Harold to let him know that I'm smelling gas and I don't know where it's coming from. He never did answer. And he always answers and he always calls back if he don't answer."
On Wednesday, police tape still lined the gate leading to the steps behind the building where she says the landlord has a small office.
There are three storefront churches on the ground floor of the Division Street building, and apartments on the upper level.
Residents in the apartments above say there had been vandalism here recently, but they never expected anything like this.
"You don't want to see nobody go through that kind of hurt and his family going through that hurt," said resident Navonne Johnson. "And we don't even know what's gonna happen."
CBS 2's Pamela Jones, Joanie Lum and the STNG Wire contributed to this report.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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