DETROIT (WXYZ) — 7 Action News is learning more about the murder of a Detroit man on the city's east side.
Police found John Boble dead in his apartment on Oct. 10.
After an investigation, police arrested Corey Canty, Boble's roommate and friend. Canty is due in 36th District Court on Wednesday for a probable cause conference.
"Just another minute with my brother, I would give. This hurts so bad," said Traci Green, the victim's sister.
Green never imagined she would outlive her baby brother. His name was John, but his siblings called him PJ. They were close and even while he was battling alcoholism, Green kept tabs on him.
"PJ didn't want to be a burden to anyone, so he chose homelessness," Green said. "He didn't want us to feel sorry for him or take care of him. We would put him in treatment."
"As of August 6th, I had him in treatment," she added.
Boble cut his stay short and decided to move to an apartment on Detroit's east side.
On the afternoon of Oct. 10, police were called to the home for a welfare check. There, they found Boble's lifeless body.
The investigation pointed toward his roommate.
"He had him in the house for three days beating him, and I guess he covered him with a blanket because he didn't want to see what he had done to him anymore," Green said. "And he (Canty) called, that crazy creepy person called, and said, 'Get this trash out of my house.'"
The Wayne County Prosecutor's Office charged Canty with premeditated first-degree murder. It is alleged that on Oct. 8, he killed Boble with blunt force trauma.
"It's taking us so long to get him buried because we are not accepting it. We're still in shock," Green said. "It can't be PJ. No, not PJ."
This wasn't the first time Boble had been targeted. Back in 2019, he was beaten on video by an off-duty security guard he knew. The gruesome attack lasted nearly two minutes.
"You see, he didn't hit her back, he didn't fight, he didn't even pinch her. He said he would never hit a woman, but the truth is, he never fought anyone," Green said.
Boble came from a big family and they all wanted to see him get well.
"I feel like I failed my mom because my mom preceded him in death back in February and I told her that I would watch out for him," Green said. "And now he's gone and I feel like I could have stopped it if he just got treatment."
The probable cause conference is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. Wednesday, and the preliminary examination is scheduled for Nov. 2 at 1:45 p.m. before Judge Kenneth King.
Green says the family is still planning to lay Boble to rest soon. They have a GoFundMe page to raise money for the funeral service.
"I don't want to bury my brother," Green said. "This is not how it is supposed to be."
