Local

Teens accused of killing neighbor, dumping body on side of road

DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — Police have arrested a teenaged boy and his girlfriend after officers say they shot a neighbor and dumped his body.

Detectives say the boy used to do yard work for the victim.

The body of Mark Elam, 47, was found on the side of River Road in Ellenwood the morning of Nov. 5. He had been shot to death.

Detectives said it was a mystery how he got there until they started canvassing his neighborhood, which is about 3 miles away from where he was found.

Officers said tips led them to the 16-year-old boy. Police say the boy's 16-year-old girlfriend was also involved.

"Mark was a good neighbor," Gregory Warfield told Channel 2's Tom Jones.

Warfield has lived across the street from Elam for about a decade or so.

"He didn't bother nobody. He kept his property up," Warfield said.

Police said the boy who helped Elam keep his property up is accused of killing him.

"Actually has done yard work before in the past," Capt. Myron Logan with the DeKalb County Police Department said.

DeKalb County police aren't saying much about what happened.

"At this point, robbery is our primary motive for the murder," Logan said.

Warfield finds it hard to believe someone would want to rob Elam.

"Mark wasn't no extravagant person. He kept to himself. He was a working man," Warfield said.

Warfield said he knows the 16-year-old and his girlfriend. He said he's seen the boy cut Elam's yard.

Warfield can't believe his neighbor is gone and his young neighbor is accused of killing him.

"This is a senseless crime. You know, one life is gone now another life is gone. And this has to stop. It has to stop," he said.

Police aren't releasing the suspects' names because of their ages.

A man who answered the door at the boy's home said he had no comment.