Arrest made in death of 72-year-old man in central Fresno, police say

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Fresno police say a man found dead in his apartment earlier this year was the victim of homicide, and officers have arrested a suspect in the case.

For weeks, neighbor Oscar Gonzalez said he passed a memorial outside the apartment of 72-year-old Leon Conway without realizing Conway had been killed.

"I thought, like, what the person was deceased of was old age. But I wasn't expecting it was a murder," Gonzalez said.

According to police, Conway had been dead for more than a week before his body was discovered, delaying the determination of how he died.

Lieutenant Brian Valles said the cause of death became clear after further medical review.

"Initially, detectives were unsure of the actual cause of death. But after a thorough medical examination, it was later determined Mr. Conway passed away, or died, as a result of blunt force trauma," Valles said.

Investigators say it took nearly a month before officers arrested 53-year-old Lemual Wheatley on an unrelated warrant. He was charged in Conway's death the following day.

Detectives determined Conway and Wheatley knew each other and had been in a fight on January 31, which police believe escalated into a fatal assault.

Police say the dispute may have been over money and that Wheatley was among several people frequently seen visiting Conway's apartment, something Gonzalez said he had noticed.

"There were people over there parking that don't live here. I've been skeptical about it, that's why I've always been watching my surroundings," he said. "But hearing about this, it makes me want to watch my surroundings more. Because you never know what's gonna happen, those people that are not from here, they could be attacking you any moment."

Wheatley remains in the Fresno County Jail on a murder charge and is expected to appear in court next week.