Montgomery County police have arrested a Frederick man who they say beat a Boyds man to death and then set the victim’s home on fire to cover up his crime more than 13 years ago.
According to police spokeswoman Melanie Hatley, 48-year-old Kenneth Lee Claggett had been a suspect almost immediately after the 1993 murder of Nelson Minter, of the 18800 block of Bucklodge Road.
In 1993, though, the physical evidence discovered at the victim’s home was not strong enough for authorities to file charges.
With advancements in DNA analysis, members of Montgomery County police’s Cold Case Unit could “conclusively zero in” on Claggett, according to Hatley.
She said Mintor’s estranged wife reportedly stayed with Claggett, which is how the two men were connected.
Officers learned of the slaying when they responded to Minter’s home on Dec. 3, 1993, and discovered a charred body inside the residence.
A warrant for Claggett’s arrest was filed Friday. Montgomery County Police said Monday that he has been charged with first-degree murder and is being held without bond at the Montgomery County Detention Center.
The Cold Case Unit was created in 2000 to use the latest DNA analysis techniques to solve older, unsolved homicides and rapes.
