A gay man was killed in an apparent robbery in his South Philadelphia house last week.
Police say Michael J. Fox, 30, was killed in his home at 906 S. Eighth St.
A roommate found Fox in his bedroom facedown in a pool of blood shortly after midnight June 22. The cause of death is believed to be blunt-force trauma to the head.
The time of death is unknown. Police say he was last seen alive June 20.
Fox lived with two other men in the two-bedroom apartment. Police immediately questioned the roommate who found the victim and, as of press time, it was unclear if police located the other roommate.
There were signs of a struggle in Fox’s bedroom, as there was an overturned television, table and other furniture, police said.
A police investigator assigned to the case had not returned inquiries by presst ime.
Fox was a former barback at Woody’s and most recently was studying at Empire Beauty School to become a hair stylist. A native of Mays Landing, N.J., Fox is a 2000 graduate of Oakcrest High School and went on to study graphic design at a vocational school.
He was a talented artistic roller skater and held regional and state titles in the sport, according to his obituary.
Former Woody’s owner Bill Wood said the victim worked for him for about two years in the early 2000s. He said he saw him at Knock a few months ago and last week ran into his skating coach, who told Wood that Fox had just gotten back into the sport.
Fox was arrested five times between 2005-08 — with four of the incidents taking place in a five-month period in 2008 — for such offenses as aggravated and simple assault, making terroristic threats, theft, robbery, possession of an instrument of crime, reckless endangerment, public drunkenness and other charges.
He spent four months in prison in 2009 and was paroled to Miracles in Progress, an addiction-treatment center.
A viewing was held Tuesday night in New Jersey. A scholarship is being established in Fox’s name. For information about donations, email [email protected].