Man beaten to death behind Atlanta gas station

ATLANTA (FOX 5 Atlanta) - Atlanta Police are working to find out who murdered a homeless man early Friday morning. According to police, Billy Bethune was beaten to death behind a Chevron gas station in southeast Atlanta.

"I was heartbroken," Yonya Johnson said.

Yonya Johnson, a manager at Just Loaf'n, said she knew Billy really well.

"Everybody knew Billy," Johnson said. "Even those he was homeless, he was the kind of guy who did whatever he could for other people."

Johnson said she was heartbroken when she found out what happened.

"I just loved him as a friend, as a brother," Johnson said. "It's just hard. I never thought I would come in the next day and he would be gone."

Many others in the gas station complex shared the same sentiment as Johnson.

"Billy lived here, the same spot he was killed," Johnson said. "He was always around doing odd jobs here and there and now he's gone."

Police did not immediately release a suspect description or motive.

"He was a good guy," Johnson said. "He didn't deserve to die."