January 28, 2020 — Philadelphia, PA — The District Attorney has charged a roofer in connection to a body that was found in a burning vehicle in a South Philadelphia parking lot.
Luis Cruz, 39, is charged with murder, arson, possession of a firearm, possession of an instrument of crime, obstruction of justice, abuse of corpse and tampering with evidence.
According to District Attorney Larry Krasner, Cruz was a contractor that was hired to do a roofing job for the victim. The victim was unsatisfied with Cruz’s roofing work and refused to pay, according to the District Attorney’s Office.
On January 21, police officers responded to a report of a 2019 Jeep Wrangler that was on fire on the 2700 block of South 3rd Street. Police discovered the body of 43-year-old Joslyn Morgan in the back seat of the burning vehicle with a gunshot wound to the head, police said.
The cause of death was a close-range gunshot wound to the head according to the Philadelphia Medical Examiner’s Office.
On Saturday, Cruz was taken into custody. While being questioned, Cruz confessed to “key details of the crime” and detailed his attempt to dismember the body and destroy the remains, Krasner’s office said.
“This shocking crime required a significant and thoughtful investigation. I thank the Philadelphia Police Department and my office’s Homicide Unit for their expedient and careful work in tracing this murder back to Luis Cruz, who appears to have taken a man’s life over an argument about the quality of his roofing work,” District Attorney Krasner said. “Because of this murder, a man is forever lost to his family and community. In addition to prosecuting this case, my office is working to make sure trauma-informed services and resources are available to the victim’s grieving loved ones.”
A preliminary hearing for Luis Cruz is scheduled for February 12.