NOTE: This article originally published in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Dec. 19, 2002.
Authorities still have not determined the cause of death of a Duluth man whose car was used by a double-murder suspect, a forensic expert said Wednesday.
Ted Bailey, chief forensic investigator for the Gwinnett medical examiner's office, said he could not find enough evidence to rule Artilles McKinney's death a homicide, despite an autopsy and numerous medical tests.
Bailey would not discuss specifics, saying his findings have been sent to the Duluth Police Department and are part of an ongoing investigation.
McKinney, 35, was found dead Oct. 29 in the bedroom of his Mulberry Way home by a roommate, said Duluth Police Capt. Mark Hunter.
Howard Belcher, 25, was arrested Oct. 30 in College Park while driving McKinney's 1994 Lexus.
Belcher has since been charged with murder in the strangulation death of a man in Atlanta and in the death of a Paulding County man, authorities said. Cause of death has not been determined in the Paulding death, which also occurred at the victim's home, police said.
Duluth detectives have been investigating McKinney's death as a homicide, but will re-evaluate how to proceed, Hunter said.
"The medical examiner's office determination does put us in a precarious position," he said. "We don't have a foundation to stand on."
Hunter said he plans to meet with staff at the Gwinnett district attorney's office.
Belcher is being held in the Fulton County Jail, said Fulton Sgt. Clarence Huber. Belcher will not be released until he faces his charges in College Park and other jurisdictions, Huber said.
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