Father of man found dead in car thought something was wrong when he left home

More than a month after a man was found dead in the trunk of a burned car, his family is left wondering why a man known to bring joy to the people around him was killed.

Officials weren’t immediately able to identify Michael Fleming when they found his body in a stolen 2006 Pontiac G6 around 5:37 a.m. July 10 at the intersection of Harbison Drive and Head Street.

The 34-year-old barber was charred beyond recognition with no facial features and no fingers, said Muscogee County Coroner Buddy Bryan.

Shirley Coleman heard that a body was found, but she didn’t suspect that it was her nephew until her friend called her on July 16. She said the victim might be Fleming.

Coleman then called Fleming’s father, Jack Coleman. He said it had been about five days since the family had heard from Fleming, who always kept in touch with his family.

Jack Coleman said he spoke to his son before he left their 28th Avenue house without his bag of barber supplies, something he usually kept handy in case someone called asking for a haircut. He didn’t know where his son was headed, but he was concerned about him.

“He usually had his bag with him,” Jack Coleman said. “That’s what made me feel like something was wrong.”

Shirley Coleman told the father to file a missing person report.

When Fleming’s parents reported him missing, they mentioned that their son may be the man found dead in the trunk of the burning car. At the time, officials were still struggling to identify that homicide victim.

Preliminary autopsy results had revealed that the man was shot once in the head and once in the hip before being burned.

Muscogee County Coroner Buddy Bryan said officials collected saliva from both parents to see if their DNA matched the victim’s DNA. His identity was confirmed on Aug. 8.

“I almost went into a panic attack,” said Shirley Coleman, who held out hope that the homicide victim would not be her nephew. “It was devastating.”

Fleming started cutting hair in high school and went on to work at the Spot 2 Barber Shop on Fort Benning Road and other local barbershops. Some of his customers only trusted him to do their hair.

Shirley Coleman said he was cheerful man who would kept his family laughing by impersonating them and other people in the neighborhood. He also enjoyed singing.

“He was very comical,” Shirley Coleman said with a chuckle. “If we were dancing, he could mimic me dancing. If his father was dancing or talking, he could mimic his father.”

With no one charged with murder in Fleming’s death, the family is left with many unanswered questions.

No murder warrants have been issued in Fleming’s death, but 56-year-old Alexander Jackson was arrested after allegedly cleaning up the blood and evidence at the scene of the Cusseta Road shooting.

Authorities said Darious Jamal Robinson, 18, Marquis Lamar Johnson, 20, and Fredret Shamar Culliver, 17, were arrested after hijacking the car before Fleming was burned in the trunk of it.

Shirley Coleman said that as far as she knows, Fleming didn’t know any of those men. The family said they can’t recall any enemies that he may have had.

Shirley Coleman said Fleming was loved by many in the community and a role model to some of his young customers. She hopes that the person or people responsible for her nephew’s death will come forward.

“God has it all in control, and I’m just going to trust God,” she said.

This story was originally published August 15, 2017 at 4:19 PM with the headline "Father of man found dead in car thought something was wrong when he left home."