Man's death in early morning house fire now being considered suspicious

ATLANTA — Channel 2 Action News has learned that Atlanta police homicide detectives are now helping firefighters investigate a deadly house fire in southeast Atlanta.

The fire on Murray Street early Monday morning killed Edwin Haygood, 54.

Atlanta Fire Rescue confirmed to Channel 2's Nefertiti Jaquez that his death is now being considered suspicious.

A source confirmed to Jaquez that Edwin Haygood died from head injuries. Family said he lived in the small home along Murray Street for more than a decade, until that deadly fire.

“Edwin being the first born, he was very special,” father John Haygood said.

John Haygood said he lives around the corner from his son, and was one of the first people at the scene when Edwin’s body was pulled out of the home.

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"The Lord gives and takes away. Maybe it was his time to go,” Haygood told Jaquez.

He believes his son is in a better place, but he’s still deeply saddened because he wants to know exactly what happened Monday morning.

“He was always kind to people. He was a good guy,” Haygood said about his son.

Fire officials said the fire started around 1 a.m. Monday in the second floor of the victim’s home.

At that point, authorities are ruling the deadly fire suspicious mainly because the victim had serious head injuries when firefighters found his body sprawled out in the doorway of his bathroom, sources said.

“It’s under investigation as to how the fire started and how he died,” Sgt. Cortez Stafford with Atlanta Fire Rescue said.

As for the elder Haygood, the pain of losing his son will always ache, especially after losing his wife just a month ago to breast cancer.

He told Jaquez that he takes solace in knowing his son was a good man who lived a good life.

“Whatever he did, he did well. He was well-loved,” Haygood said.

Cox Media Group