Daniel Clay had problems with law long before Chelsea Bruck's death
Late Friday night, the family of Chelsea Bruck finally got some closure: the man believed to be responsible for her disappearance and murder was arrested.
Daniel Clay, 27, was charged Monday with second degree murder in the death of Bruck, who disappeared after attending a Halloween party in 2014. The following April, her body was discovered decomposing in a wooded area. The Medical Examiner ruled Bruck died from blunt force trauma to the head.
The sheriff's department said in their news conference on Friday that their suspect, now identified as Clay, knew details that only the killer would know.
During his arraignment, Clay stated that he would like a court-appointed employee and that he is not employed.
So who is Daniel Clay, the man accused of killing the 22-year-old woman? FOX 2 did some research on Clay's history and he's had several run-ins with the Monroe County Sheriff in the past decade.
April 9, 2007: Daniel Clay was arrested for the first time, according to court records. He was arrested and later pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of possession of marijuana. He got 180 days in jail.
July 13, 2007: that same year, Clay was pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charge of breaking and entering into a vehicle to steal property less than $200. He was sentenced to 93 days in jail.
August 4, 2007: He was charged and later pleaded guilty to a charge of assault and battery and retail fraud. No information about his sentence was provided.
January 28, 2008: Clay was arrested and charged with another misdemeanor. This time he pleaded guilty of breaking and entering a coin box. He received 45 days in jail.
February 9, 2008: Clay pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of larceny between $200 and $1,000. He got 93 days in jail for that guilty plea.
December 18, 2014: once again, Clay was picked up and pleaded guilty to a charge of marijuana possession. He was sentenced to 180 days in jail.
March 30, 2016: Clay's final arrest before his murder charge. Clay pleaded guilty to possession of marijuana and received 60 days in jail.
July 22, 2016: Moving on a tip, the Monroe County Sheriff interviewed Clay. They said Clay knew information about the murder that they had not released to the public.
"We're grateful to the Monroe County Sheriff's office for their unflagging efforts. Not to mention the efforts of the Michigan State Police and other agencies to bring the case to this point," Monroe County Chief Asst Prosecutor Michael Roehrig said.
The roommate and friend of Clay's girlfriend said she was home when the cops showed up.
"I was in shower, there was a pounding on the door and he had ran in the bathroom (and said) 'Deanna I'm going to prison'. I'm thinking to myself 'what did you do'?
Boring says Clay called his girlfriend from jail the next day.
"She said don't lie to me, tell me what happened and he said it was an accident," Boring said "(She said it was) rough sex. I believe she did not want to have sex and he choked her and did what ever else he wanted to do to her."
She said when police arrived, they made a discovery.
"They found journals, panties, and jewelry in his backpack. (He) said it was an accident, why don't you call? Why do you have her stuff?" Boring asks.
Clay is facing life in prison and Boring wonders if there was anyone else that he may have killed.
Prosecutors said there isn't enough evidence to charge Clay with first degree murder but that could change.
The judge denied his bond. He is due back in court July 28.
(WEB UPDATE) The family of Chelsea Bruck released a statement on Monday night:
"The family of Chelsea Bruck would like to thank our family, friends, and community for their continued support. We are thankful for the efforts of the Monroe County Sheriff's Department. We will now let the judicial system move forward with the next steps of this process. We continue to request our privacy during this matter."