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Man accused in death, burning of funeral home owner headed to trial

PITTSBURGH (AP) — A man accused of beating an elderly funeral home operator to death and then setting his body on fire has been ordered to stand trial on a criminal homicide charge.

A detective testified on Friday that Jawwaad Ali acknowledged killing 83-year-old John Connors on June 3.

Firefighters were sent to a home in the city's Allentown neighborhood that day after "a report that a man was on fire," police said in a criminal complaint.

An autopsy determined Connors died from being beaten about the head and neck before he was set ablaze, and police contend Ali acknowledged killing him in one of several accounts he gave them.

Ali initially told police he woke up smelling smoke and found Connors afire but then changed his story to say an armed man forced his way into the house, beat Connors and forced Ali to pour kerosene on Connors and set him afire, police said. Finally, the 24-year-old Ali contended Connors wanted to have sex with him and came at him with a screwdriver when he said, ‘No.’ Ali said he acted in self-defense, beating Connors and then setting his body on fire because he knew somebody was coming by soon to take Connors to the bank, police said in the complaint.

Ali's public defender didn't return a call for comment following Friday's hearing.

Police and prosecutors have said little about a possible motive for the killing, acknowledging only that Ali had been staying at the home for about a week before Connors was killed.

Connors' niece Debbie Goldie said he'd lived for years on the second floor of the house, operating a funeral parlor on the first floor. Connors' family had urged him to move, but he valued his independence, she said.

"He loved it when people came down and said, 'Hello, Jack,' 'Hi, Mr. Connors,' and we couldn't get him into a place where he would have been better, safer," she said.