Man Arrested After Body Found Inside Burning Apartment
DENVER (CBS4)- Police have arrested Tahlil Johnson, a man wanted in connection with a body found inside a burning apartment in Denver last week.
Police took Johnson, 23, into custody on investigation of first-degree murder and first-degree arson for the Aug. 22 incident.
According to the arrest affidavit, firefighters rushed to the apartment complex about 7:47 a.m. on reports of smoke coming from a lower level apartment in building AA at 10700 E. Dartmouth Ave.
When fire crews arrived, they found heavy smoke coming from the apartment and a male lying on his back on a blow up mattress on the floor of the living room area.
The body of the victim had been set on fire and suffered severe burns over most of the body. The victim was pronounced deceased shortly after 8 a.m. at Denver Health Medical Center.
The victim was later identified as Seth Mosee, 52, and that he had a fracture to the face and skull. The coroner said that he died from blunt force trauma injuries to the head and sharp force injuries to the neck.
Detectives found a bottle of lighter fluid on the ground near Mosee and deemed the fire suspicious.
Detectives found the same brand of lighter fluid for sale at a store near the crime scene. Johnson was seen on the store's surveillance video buying the lighter fluid about 30 minutes before the fire was reported.
Police interviewed a woman who said she was staying in Mosee's apartment with Johnson and that Mosee had told them they couldn't stay there anymore. The unidentified woman told police that Johnson and Mosee got into an argument and that Johnson punched and kicked Mosee in the head several times.
Johnson then told her they could stay in the apartment now that he was dead. She told police that Johnson also pawned Mosee's TV for $200.
According to the arrest affidavit, the woman told police that she and Johnson went to Family Dollar to buy cleaning supplies to clean up the blood. They stayed in the apartment with the body that night.
It was the next day that Johnson said he had to "dispose of the body" and told her that he set the apartment on fire.
Johnson was arrested on Friday for investigation of first-degree murder and first-degree arson charges.
