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Police: Suspect in custody in triple murder in Detroit
The suspect, who has a lengthy criminal record and is on parole, has not been named because formal charges have not been filed yet. Detroit police said the suspect was arrested Thursday afternoon based on a tip, in the 1400 block of W. Vernor, near where the suspect lives. Officers who arrived at the scene were able to take the suspect into custody. Inside the vehicle, evidence was found connecting the suspect to the crime, said Detroit Police Chief Todd Bettison.
(FOX 2) - A man that Wayne County prosecutors say is connected to the three dead bodies found in the basement of a Detroit home was charged with an assault near the same location on Monday.
Lance Clowney II allegedly used a hammer when he attacked an individual in Southwest Detroit. On Monday, he appeared in court on charges including assault with intent to murder and assault with a dangerous weapon.
The latest:
Clowney was arraigned on three assault counts for allegedly attacking an individual outside a home in Southwest Detroit last week.
He was remanded to court and denied bond after prosecutors told a Detroit judge he was a threat to the community. In addition to the latest assault, he was previously convicted of carjacking and armed robbery from 2017, for which he is still on parole.
He was identified by witnesses as well as the victim, who said he believes he was struck by a hammer.
When police arrested Clowney, they found a baseball bat, three phones and a hammer in his vehicle, which was parked near his home.
Lance Clowney II in court.
What they're saying:
During the arraignment, an assistant prosecutor with Wayne County said charges had not been processed yet in connection with the triple homicide investigation, but believed Clowney was connected to the case.
"Due to the assaultive nature, we believe the defendant is connected to not only this assault with the complaining witness in this matter, but the connection to three decedents in the basement," she said on Monday.
The backstory:
Police were originally called to a home on Edsel Street for a missing persons report.
While at the home, they were approached by someone who told them they had been assaulted inside the residence. When police went inside, they found the bodies of three men in their 60s and 70s.
Law enforcement later said the men had been dead for about a day and their bodies had been covered in sheets and dirty clothes.
At the time, police said the men had been the victims of a brutal assault.
'Brutal scene': Detroit police have person of interest in custody in connection with triple murder scene
After going into the house, DPD discovered three bodies in the basement of deceased men who appeared to have been "brutally assaulted."
The Source: A court hearing on Monday and previous reporting were cited for this story.