Four charged with murder of man in Birmingham

Michael Junior Obasi was killed in Perry Hall Park last March.

Author: Molly HookingsPublished 19th Apr 2024

Police have charged four people, including a 15-year-old boy, with the murder of a man who died after being attacked in Birmingham last month.

Michael Junior Obasi, 38, was found in Perry Hall Park at around 11am on 16 March.

The father-of-one's death was initially not treated as suspicious, but a post-mortem established that he had been the victim of a serious assault.

In a statement, his family said: “Our dearly beloved, respectful son, brother, partner and father, Michael Junior Obasi, has been taken from us.

“Michael’s loss has sent ripples of pain throughout the whole family. The family ask for your prayers at this time.

“Please help with any information you may have."

Ion Calin, 18, Ion Morar, 20, Manuel Filipache, 21, and a boy, 15, have been charged with the murder and robbery of Mr Obasi.

All apart from the 15-year-old have also been charged with the robbery of another man, which happened on 15 January.

All are due at Birmingham Magistrates Court today (Friday).

Two other men arrested as part of the investigation have been released on police bail, while a third has been released and will face no further action.

Det Insp Michelle Thurgood, leading the investigation, said: “We’ve been supporting Michael’s family since his death, and are determined to establish exactly what happened to him and why.

“Our investigation has made good progress, and these charges are a significant development, but I still need help from the public.

“We believe Mr Obasi was the victim of a serious assault by a number of men in the park at some point between 7pm and 8pm on March 14, which is two days before his body was found.

“I really need to hear from anyone who was in the area at the time, or who may have CCTV or dashcam footage of men running from the park during that time period.”

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