Badly burned body found in car after firefighters put out blaze in Philly’s Logan section

Police are investigating after firefighters found a badly burned body in a car that had been ablaze early Thursday in Philadelphia’s Logan section.

Police Chief Inspector Scott Small told reporters at the scene that the body was burned beyond recognition and that the person’s age and gender could not immediately be determined.

Homicide Capt. Jason Smith said later it appeared that the person had been shot in the head, but investigators were awaiting a determination by the medical examiner on the manner and cause of death.

Firefighters were called about 2 a.m. to put out a fire in an 2007 Mercedes-Benz station wagon on the 5000 block of North Sydenham Street.

After extinguishing the blaze, they spotted a body in the passenger seat, police said.

Small said the body was in an unusual position, on its back with the head down by the floorboards and the feet pointed toward the back.

Arson investigators are trying to determine the cause of the fire.