DETROIT (WXYZ) — Three men, including two Marine veterans, were found bludgeoned to death in a Detroit home's basement this week, with police arresting a 27-year-old suspect who has connections to the victims.
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The bodies of 66-year-old Norman Hamlin, 72-year-old William Barrett, and 65-year-old Mark Barnett were discovered Wednesday in the basement of Hamlin's home on Edsel near Schaefer and I-75 in southwest Detroit. Police believe the men were killed sometime between Monday evening and Tuesday morning.
Detroit Police Chief Todd Bettison confirmed officers arrested a suspect Thursday afternoon after receiving a community tip that the suspect was in the 1400 block of West Vernor.
RAW VIDEO: Detroit Police Chief Todd Bettison updates triple murder investigation
"We believe that the suspect has a connection to the victims," Chief Bettison said.
The 27-year-old suspect is currently on parole, with past crimes including carjacking, armed robbery, fleeing police, and resisting and obstructing officers.
During the arrest, police recovered a vehicle near the suspect's home that could play a crucial role in the case.
"Inside the vehicle, we found evidence that we believe is connected to these homicides," Chief Bettison said.
A missing persons report led officers to Hamlin's home. Both Hamlin and Barnett were Marine veterans.
Caroline Stackhouse, Barnett's ex-wife, who was married to him for eight years before their divorce in 1992, said she had a gut feeling something was wrong when a neighbor told her about the gruesome discovery.
"I'm still trying to process it, you know, even though we wasn't together, but he still was my, he's the father of my child, so, still trying to figure that one out," Stackhouse said.
When she heard about the incident, Stackhouse immediately told her son to call his father.
"Cause I knew in my heart, in my spirit. But I didn't want to believe it," she said. "And then, later on that day, we found out it was him."
FULL INTERVIEW: Caroline Stackhouse talks about her ex-husband and the murder investigation
Stackhouse said she and her son are now preparing for Barnett's funeral. Her son has been struggling with the news.
"He broke down, yeah, off and on. He was breaking down, so. He's gonna take it hard. I know he is, he's gonna take it real hard," she said.
Despite not knowing the circumstances surrounding the crime, Stackhouse hopes for justice.
"I don't know the people that he was with or the person that might have done it. I don't know none of that stuff, but I just hope everything come to a closure," Stackhouse said.
Police say this triple homicide was an isolated incident and there is no danger to the public. The homicide task force, comprised of Detroit and Michigan State Police detectives, is working to get a warrant request to the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office for a charging decision.
The investigation remains active.
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