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Roommates Arrested After Man Found Murdered

Posted: 3:48 pm EST November 3, 2009Updated: 10:30 am EST November 4, 2009

Sanford police arrested Devin Simpson and Kellie Chellette Monday night. Simpson was charged with murder, while Chellette was charged with accessory after the fact.

Police identified the victim on Monday as 30-year-old Robert Douglas BeBout. His body was found badly decomposed near an apartment complex. A passer-by notified police officers on Saturday about the body.

"It smelled awful, like something died," described Andrea Johnson, neighbor.

The body of BeBout was found hidden in some tall weeds near west 25th Street and Hartwell Avenue (see map), which is about 100-feet behind the home where he lived on Marshall Avenue.

On Tuesday, detectives traced blood from that scene to the home Chellette and Simpson shared with the 30-year-old victim.

Investigators believe BeBout's body was in the wooded area for three days before it was discovered. They also believe he had been dead for as many as five days. Police say he died of blunt-force trauma to the head.

At this point, investigators are not saying why the duo may have killed their roommate.

"Devin, what do you hit him with?" asked Eyewitness News reporter Jeff Deal as police led Simpson away in handcuffs.

"I didn't hit him with anything," Simpson replied.

CSI agents spent Tuesday taking out bags of evidence from the home on Marshall Avenue. Four people who were inside the home were taken into custody for questioning, but have not been arrested.

Investigators questioned BeBout's other two roommates, but they were not charged with any crime.

Simpson and Chellette are scheduled to appear before a judge to hear the charges against them at 1:30pm Wednesday.

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