PONTIAC, Mich. – Three Pontiac residents have been charged in connection with the torture and murder of a homeless man, officials said.
Police said the body of Tobby Robert Farrington, 50, of Pontiac, was found March 25 in a grassy area in the 100 block of South Merrimac Street, near Terry Lake.
Recommended Videos
Farrington was nude and had been badly beaten and stabbed, according to authorities. There were wounds on his chest, side and neck, police said. He had also been strangled with rope, and a plastic bag was found over his head, officials said.
The official cause of death was determined to be asphyxiation.
“It is so incredibly sad to see people’s inhumanity to one another,” Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard said. “This kind of senseless, extreme violence will not be tolerated, and I look forward to them being held accountable.”
Someone who was walking in the area called 911 after seeing Farrington’s arm and leg sticking out from beneath a bed comforter, according to authorities.
There were fresh tire tracks near the body, police said.
Detectives determined Farrington’s death had occurred inside a home near Saginaw Street and Woodward Avenue. He had been staying there and getting drugs from Alice Marie Anthony, 50, in exchange for performing jobs around the house, officials said.
Police believe Anthony got angry at Farrington because of a financial transaction between them.
Anthony, a grandmother, lived at the home, along with Romaro Lee Wilson, 28, according to authorities. Brian Catorie Bonner, 41, visited the house frequently, police said.
Officials said they don’t know how long Farrington stayed at the home. His family was found in Virginia.
Oakland County prosecutors issued warrants for open murder and concealing the death of an individual. Bonner, Anthony and Wilson were arraigned on the open murder charge Thursday at 50th District Court in Pontiac.
They are all being held at the Oakland County Jail without bond. A probable cause conference is scheduled for April 12.
