Metro Atlanta
Metro Atlanta

Witness says man shot, dragged body into Clayton County home

Cornelius Burnley faces a murder charge in connection with a body found Thursday in Clayton County. (Credit: Clayton County Sheriff's Office)
Cornelius Burnley faces a murder charge in connection with a body found Thursday in Clayton County. (Credit: Clayton County Sheriff's Office)
By Ellen Eldridge
March 5, 2017

A witness watched as a man shot someone and dragged the body into a home on Susan Lane, Clayton County police said.

That anonymous call about 11:49 a.m. Thursday led police to Cornelius Burnley, who was leaving the house as officers arrived, spokeswoman Sgt. Ashanti Marbury said.

The 44-year-old immediately ran back into the house when he saw police, Marbury said.

RELATED: Body of man found in Clayton County

Once Burnley was detained by officers, they investigated the anonymous tip about a shooting victim.

Philip Goodman, 49, was found face down and unresponsive, Marbury said.

Police believe an argument led to the fatal shooting and Burnley was arrested and charged with murder and aggravated assault.

In other news:

The incident started when two boys got into a fight in the hallway. Three teachers tried to break up the fight, but couldn't.

About the Author

Ellen Eldridge
More Stories

Keep Reading

Kelly Vinal walks through debris in her space at South River Arts Studio in DeKalb County on Friday, Nov. 14, 2025. The artist studio was damaged in a fire on Wednesday. (Natrice Miller/AJC)

Credit: Natrice Miller

Fire gutted a DeKalb art studio. Creatives are now picking up the pieces.

A Wednesday blaze at South River Art Studios ravaged one of three warehouses on the property where about 35 artists create and store all their supplies.

$980M Mega Millions winning ticket sold in Newnan

The player matched all six numbers during a Friday evening drawing and won a jackpot worth an estimated $980 million. It has an estimated cash value of $452.2 million.

Churches, King Center hold food drives as SNAP delays linger

As the nation begins to recover from the government shutdown, leaders and advocates in Georgia are trying to fill the gaps left by the pause in federal services.

The Latest

A view down Howell Mill Road in the West Midtown neighborhood of Atlanta in March. The Howell Mill project aims to improve the highly used and congested stretch between Collier Road (north of I-75) and Marietta Street (south of I-75) in West Midtown. (Arvin Temkar/AJC 2025)

Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com

Gridlock Guy: ATL DOT asks to please pardon its progress

Fire gutted a DeKalb art studio. Creatives are now picking up the pieces.

Churches, King Center hold food drives as SNAP delays linger

Featured

Prosecutor Skandalakis has previously suggested that pursuing criminal charges against President Donald Trump may not be feasible until after he leaves office in 2029. (Craig Hudson/Politico/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Credit: Bloomberg via Getty Images

Prosecutor takes helm of Georgia case against Trump. But will he move forward?

A veteran Georgia prosecutor will decide the fate of Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis' election interference case against Donald Trump and his allies.

With some solar power tax breaks expiring, Georgians rush to catch the sun

Georgia solar installers say they’re seeing a surge of customers trying to install rooftop solar systems before federal tax credits go away at the end of the year.

‘Automatic for the People’: Weaver D’s still bonds Athens as era nears end

After feeding everyone from R.E.M. to Brian Kemp, and coining a phrase that went global, Dexter Weaver is preparing to close his storied Athens soul food restaurant.