Arrest made in murder of man found near Old Mill Road last month

The Fairfax County Police announced Thursday that they have made an arrest in the murder of an Alexandria man whose body was found off of Old Mill Road last month.

Malik Salam, 41, is facing second degree murder charges in the death of Micale Kebede, who was found by a creek near a bridge on Old Mill Road on December 18.

Kebede, a 31-year-old resident of the City of Alexandria, died of an unspecified trauma to the upper body, according to the FCPD. He was found by a resident walking their dog on the afternoon of Dec. 18, but it is not clear when he was killed.

Salam, who lives in the Mount Vernon area according to court records, has been in police custody since December 22, when detectives charged him with unlawfully disposing of a body. That arrest was not announced publicly.

Salam was formally charged with murder on Thursday. He is being held without bond.

Lt. Mike Shamblin of the FCPD’s Major Crimes Division said Salam and Kebede knew each other, but could not give details on a motive at this time. Shamblin also confirmed that Kebede was killed elsewhere, but could not reveal where, saying the investigation remains “very active” and that some details would likely not come out until Salam’s trial.

This article has been updated to correct the date of when Micale Kebede was found.