Barry Sartain, 61, was found dead on his Cottondale, Alabama, property after deputies conducted a welfare check on November 12, 2022. A tip had prompted the check; Sartain’s 24-year-old roommate, Daniel Raines, first told officers that Sartain had left several days earlier. After consenting to a search, deputies discovered Sartain’s body in an outbuilding; he had been deceased for a couple of days before being found.

An autopsy reportedly showed Sartain had been beaten and stabbed multiple times. Authorities say the fatal injuries followed a physical altercation between the two roommates and that drugs and alcohol may have been factors. Raines allegedly admitted to killing Sartain and was arrested and charged with murder.

Sartain’s neighbors remembered him as generous and helpful, which made the violence especially jarring to the community. Anyone with information about Sartain, his movements before November 10, 2022, or the relationship between the roommates is asked to come forward.