Concord judge rules evidence can be used in Logan Clegg double-homicide case
Published: 06-14-2023 8:59 AM |
Evidence police obtained after using cell phone location data to find and arrest Logan Clegg may be used in his upcoming murder trial in the deaths of Steve and Wendy Reid, a Merrimack County Superior Court judge ruled.
Clegg, 27, challenged all evidence obtained after his arrest in October, arguing police needed a warrant to access cell phone data provided by Verizon Wireless, which police used to track him to South Burlington, Vermont. The evidence includes items collected at his campsite and from his backpack, including the Glock 17 that State Police said was the handgun used in the murders.
Judge John Kissinger rejected the argument.
“CPD made every effort to locate Mr. Clegg for several weeks until they received a phone number connected to him,” Kissinger wrote in his order. “While police could have applied for a warrant prior to making the exigency request, officers were under the impression that a request to Verizon made with a warrant could take days or weeks to process before cell phone location data would be produced.”
When Clegg was arrested, police said he had $7,150 in cash, a Romanian passport bearing an alias, and a one-way plane ticket to Germany.
In making the motion to suppress, Clegg’s defense attorneys argued that the police department’s actions surrounding his arrest violated his constitutional rights. Kissinger disagreed.
Additionally, he denied a second motion to suppress evidence made by Clegg that accused Concord police of violating his Miranda rights, specifically his right to counsel and his right to silence.
However, Kissinger did uphold Clegg’s argument that police failed to honor his right to counsel and a statement by Clegg asking if he will be able to get his money back will not be admissible at trial, which is slated to begin jury selection on October 2.
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Clegg is being charged with two counts of second-degree murder for knowingly causing the deaths of the Reids, two counts of reckless second-degree murder, four counts of falsifying physical evidence and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm, felonies. If found guilty, he could face life in prison.
He has remained held without bail at the Merrimack County House of Corrections in Boscawen since October.
The Reids left their Alton Woods apartment complex for a walk around 2:22 p.m. on April 18 and never returned. Their bodies were found three days later on the trails near their home after they were reported missing.
They were known for their years of humanitarian work around the world and had recently moved to Concord to retire. They were outdoor enthusiasts who frequently walked at the Broken Ground trails, family and friends said.