Man found dead in burning dumpster was beaten to death

A man found inside a dumpster that had been set on fire Saturday night in the Southwest Side Brighton Park neighborhood was beaten to death, an autopsy has shown.

Firefighters responded to a fire in a dumpster in the alley of the 4200 block of South Kedzie about 10:30 p.m. and found a body inside after the blaze was extinguished, Fire Media Affairs Director Larry Langford said.

He was identified as 55-year-old Arthur Wyatt of the 4500 block of South Michigan Avenue, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

An autopsy found he died of blunt trauma to his head from an assault, and his death was ruled a homicide, the medical examiner’s office said.

The Chicago Fire Department Office of Fire Investigation Division and Area Central detectives are investigating.