No mention yet of race, body was apparently somewhat burnt. Most likely black. Some locals are screaming "voodoo".

Police Seek Identity of Headless Body
Reported By: Kevin Rowson
Web Editor: Michael King
Last Modified: 5/15/2007 8:38:04 PM

A group of five elementary school children made a gruesome discovery on their walk to the bus stop on Tuesday morning.

On the side of the road in a Lithonia subdivision, in plain sight, was a dismembered body, partially burned. They ran home to tell their mother, who called DeKalb County police.

The children's mother said she didn't believe her children at first -- then she saw it: a sight not even an adult should have etched in their mind, let alone a child.

When asked about how he felt about a dismembered body being found in her neighborhood, the mother replied, "Scared. Very scared."

The mother of four said she was so scared that she didn't want her identity publicized -- because whoever killed the person whose dismembered body was found, was trying to send a message.

It was her kids -- elementary school children on their way to the bus stop -- who discovered the body.

"They said, 'Momma, there's a dead body out here'," she said. "I said, no, it's not. They said yesit is, by the red gas can. So I wnt over there and looked -- and it was."

She described what she saw -- a body, with dismembered arms and legs. But the head was missing. A gas can was next to the body, which was partially burned. It's not like whoever did it tried to hide it.

"The human remains were found right there on the side of the road, right there, between two houses," said DeKalb police officer Ariel Toledo.

A DeKalb police cadaver dog tried to pick up a scent from the missing body part, but came up empty. The macabre scene peaked neighbors curiosity and fears in the quiet Lithonia neighborhood.

"I just got to be safe now," said neighbor Rene Parrish. "Keep a eye out for anything strange or unusual that happens in the neighborhood."

Without a head, a medical examiner cannot use dental records for identification. From what witnesses said, the remaining body was only partially burned, so investigators will hopefully be able to get fingerprints. If the victim has a criminal record, they should be able to find out who it is -- identity being a critical starting point to the investigation.

http://www.11alive.com/news/article_news.aspx?storyid=97093