DETROIT – A man was sentenced to life in prison Friday for fatally shooting a 52-year-old man in December on Detroit's east side.
Police said Clarence Reynolds was found shot to death on Dec. 28 inside his Detroit home. Reynolds' body was discovered by his friends at the house on Promenade Street south of East Outer Drive. His dog was also shot.
Maurice Elliot was found guilty of murdering Reynolds on May 9.
What happened
Residents of the east-side neighborhood were in shock as a massive homicide investigation unfolded throughout the morning. Officials said Reynolds' friends came around 8 a.m. to pick him up for breakfast.
When they got to the home, the front door was shattered and they could see blood, officials said.
"They called to have him to come out," Detroit police Capt. Mark Thornton said. "Obviously, there was no response."
Police confirmed Reynolds had been fatally shot.
As homicide investigators swarmed the area, Animal Control officials were also called because one of Reynolds' two dogs had been shot.
"There were a couple of dogs that were inside," Thornton said. "It looks like one dog was actually injured, as well. We're not allowing anybody or anything into the scene because we don't want to contaminate it. We want to make sure that we're able to get all the evidence that we can, because it is a homicide scene at this particular point in time."
"He was a good uncle to us," a member of Reynolds' family said. "He didn't bother anybody."
Neighbors watched as the injured dog was removed from the home with a gunshot wound. A woman who befriended Reynolds said she would often check on him, but she noticed that morning that his front door was shattered.
"He's been in this house about two years," Thornton said. "He seemed to be liked by the neighbors."
Reynolds went by the name "Mohammed." He lived alone but always had his dogs with him, family members said.
"Those dogs were his kids," said Reynolds' niece, Kwanna Luchie.
"Whoever did this to my uncle, they didn't have to shoot the dog or shoot him," Luchie said. "They didn't even have to do that."