Garland police are investigating the death of a man in a fire as a homicide.
Police discovered the man's body during a welfare check in the 3400 block of Hillsdale Lane on Wednesday morning.
"While they were at the front door, they could see a little smoke around the edges of the door and officers ended up forcing their way into the house and, immediately, you had the smell of smoke," police spokesman Officer Joe Harn said.
Police said there had been a fire inside the home. Officers found the man in the den area of the house.
Investigators are still trying to confirm the man's identity.
"The body was burnt bad enough that we could not -- through pictures that we saw in the residence -- could not identify the man positively," Harn said.
Neighbors said they were shocked by the man's death.
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"It's horrible," Edith Wolfe said. "For people to die like that, it's a horrible thing."
"It's a shock," Kris Brown said. "It surprises me that something like would happen. It's scary."
Neighbors said the man who lived in the home had lived for a couple of years.
Police said they believe his body had been there for several days before it was discovered.
"My prayers do go out to the family, and I pray that they can be comforted in some way, and I pray it doesn't happen to somebody else if it is a murder," Brown said.
