SOUTH FULTON, Ga. — Loved ones of a young man are pleading for tips after a worker found his body inside a vacant home in Fulton County. Police are now ruling his death a homicide.
Malik Bonny, 23, disappeared in November, and City of South Fulton Police initially classified it as a missing person's case. Now, they say what happened to him was no accident.
Demetrius Roman said Bonny had an infectious laugh and sense of humor that put a smile on the faces of all who knew him.
“He referred to me as his dad, and that’s just been our relationship, a father-and-son relationship," Roman said.
Bonny went into the foster care system at eight years old. Luckily, Bonny, who had autism, would come to know Roman as his father.
“Malik never met a stranger. His mindset was that of a 6 or 7-year-old. A car could drive up and offer him candy, and Malik would just get in the car with them," Roman said.
City of South Fulton Police said Bonny wandered off from a group home along Hemperly Road on Nov. 30.
“When we didn’t hear from him, we instantly began to pray because we knew that something had gone wrong," Roman said.
Roman's worst fears came true. Investigators said a contractor found Bonny's body inside a vacant home along Cedar Hurst Trail on Dec. 20.
Police said they won't know when Bonny died until they receive the autopsy report.
“He was killed and just thrown like trash, and people loved Malik," Roman said. "People loved Malik as his homegoing service testifies. People really loved him and cared about him.”
Roman is offering a $10,000 cash reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of Bonny's killer.
“I’ve got more money to put towards this. I’ll give every resource in my arsenal of resources to find who killed my son," Roman said. "It leaves a large hole in our hearts. We struggle every day. We talk about it every day. We laugh and we cry just like we’ve lost one of our own because that’s what Malik was to us. He belonged to us. He was our family.”
You can report tips anonymously to the Crime Stoppers Atlanta tip line at 404-577-TIPS (8477), or online at www.StopCrimeAtl.org. Crime Stoppers is offering a $2,000 reward, in addition to the $10,000 reward Bonny's loved ones are offering.