Police have identified the remains of a man who was found buried under a burning pile of trash in Marine Park this past January — a Coney Island resident who investigators claim was murdered.
Investigators say the victim, 36-year-old Alvin Bonhomme, was strangled to death before being dumped into a pile of trash on Hendrickson Street — and then set on fire — on Jan. 12.
The case, now a homicide investigation, began at 3:43 am, when police responded to a trash fire near Avenue U.
After firefighters had quenched the blaze, they found Bonhomme’s burnt body amidst the litter, but didn’t identify him, or learned the exact cause of death, until March 20, when the New York City Medical Examiner’s office completed its investigation.
Bonhomme, who lived on W. 22nd Street between Surf Avenue and the Coney Island Boardwalk, did not have a police record, according to a spokesman for the Kings County District Attorney’s office.
Police have yet to arrest anyone for the killing and the motivation behind the slaying remained unclear, police sources said.
Anyone with information regarding this incident is urged to call CrimeStoppers at (800) 577-TIPS. All calls will be kept confidential.
Reach reporter Colin MIxson at cmixson@cnglocal.com or by calling (718) 260-4514.