Macon woman’s death being investigated as homicide

The body of a 58-year-old woman was found in a boarding house she owns Thursday morning in Macon’s Pleasant Hill neighborhood.

Her death is being investigated as a homicide, according to a Bibb County sheriff’s new release.

Brenda Faulkner’s body was found just before 11 a.m. inside the ocean blue house at 1776 First Avenue, which is up an embankment from the Hardeman Avenue exit just above Interstate 75.

The Bibb County sheriff’s violent crimes unit investigators were on the scene, and yellow crime scene tape cordoned off the block.

A call to 911 reported “a person down” at the house, Lt. Randy Gonzalez said.

Clusters of people watched as investigators gathered around the house, which had mattresses and other items piled up on a porch.

Faulkner’s 2002 Ford Mustang was located and recovered in the 4200 block of Robinson Circle around 3:30 p.m.

Willie Frazier, 51, was walking home from his school system job working in the bus yard when he came upon the scene.

Frazier said he didn’t know the people who lived there. Items on the porch, he said, had been put there in recent days.

The house isn’t unfamiliar to investigators.

Deputies were called there Dec. 10 after a 31-year-old woman reportedly set fire to the house.

Brandy Robinson was charged with arson in the blaze, which erupted after she ate breakfast at the house and left.

Aaron Whitfield, who lived there, told The Telegraph at the time that he made breakfast for Robinson then asked her to leave, so he could clean.

A brick came through the window, and smoke filled the house. No one was hurt, and the fire didn’t cause extensive damage. Robinson was booked in the Bibb County jail that afternoon.

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call the sheriff’s office at 478-751-7500 or Macon Regional Crimestoppers at 877-68-CRIME.

This story was originally published February 16, 2017 at 5:43 PM with the headline "Macon woman’s death being investigated as homicide."