Suspect charged with killing DC man, burning his bound body, robbing his apartment

Rico Rashaad Barnes, 36, was arrested on March 30 by members of the Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force and has been charged with first-degree murder.

Around 3:30 am on February 11, firefighters responded to reports of smoke and extinguished a small fire inside 40-year-old Syed Hammad Hussain’s Logan Circle apartment. The area is known for high-end residential buildings and its restaurants. The firefighters found Hussain unconscious and not breathing, and he was pronounced dead at the scene, per Fox News.

Hussain’s death was ruled a homicide by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner caused by blunt force trauma and strangulation. The autopsy found blunt force injuries, including a skull fracture, as well as evidence of ligature strangulation.

Interim Metropolitan Police Chief Jeff Carroll said in a Tuesday press conference, "This was a particularly heinous case. Mr. Hussain was found suffering from blunt force trauma and thermal injuries inside of his apartment." Investigators believe the fire was set after Hussain’s death.

Court documents obtained by the outlet revealed that Hussain entered his apartment building in the 1400 block of Rhode Island Avenue NW at around 1:30 am that morning, being followed closely by two men.

Commander Kevin Kentish, of MPD’s Criminal Investigations Division, said, "The video shows two suspects appearing to follow Mr. Hussain into the building. Shortly thereafter, the suspects knocked on the door, and Mr. Hussain allowed them inside."

Police said that video and witness statements revealed Hussain had been assaulted in the lobby of his apartment building, knocked to the ground, before being forced into his apartment, either by being dragged or carried inside. Detectives said the attack continued inside the apartment, out of view of cameras.

Hussain was found by emergency crews when they later entered the apartment, lying face down, with his ankles and wrists bound. There was blood visible on floors, walls, and furniture.

Investigators believe the killing took place during a robbery. Inside the apartment, drawers had been opened and items such as cash, electronics, and jewelry missing. In total, authorities said around $50,000 worth of items were stolen. Video showed the suspects leaving the building at around 2:30 am with multiple bags.

Detectives were able to track the suspects across Northwest DC through surveillance cameras and footage from Metro Transit Police. Police identified Barnes through this process. A second suspect, identified as Alphonso Walker, was linked through the process as well as GPS data from an ankle monitor. He is already in custody on unrelated charges.