Twenty-seven years after the unsolved murder of a JC student, recent news tips and an ABC 2 News cold case segment have brought attention to the case.
Jennifer Claybrook, class of ’86, was a freshman when she disappeared on March 4, 1983.
According to her mother, Claybrook went for a jog. Forty-eight hours after Jennifer did not return home, police began an official investigation.
According to police reports, Claybrook had run away in the past. However, in previous instances, she had called her mother to let her know that she was safe.
Two days later, her mother reported Claybrook missing.
On March 10, an off-duty police officer was walking his dog when he found Jennifer strangled. She was propped up against a fence less than a mile from her home, in a field now known as the Trails at Gleneagles development, located behind Maple View Drive in Bel Air.
According to investigators, the placement of Jennifer’s body up against a fence indicated that her murderer wanted her to be found.
“It’s heartbreaking, and there are no words to describe how horrified we were when the body was found,” Campus Minister Patti Murphy-Dohn, who taught several of Jennifer’s friends, said.
Math Department chair Susan Gradishar, who taught Jennifer’s Algebra I class, said that something as tragic as the mystery of Claybrook’s death “really hits you forever.”
While no signs of a struggle were reportedly found at the scene of the body, investigators remain unsure as to whether Claybrook was killed onsite or placed there later, according to Brad Helm, the Bel Air Police Department detective who is currently investigating the case. In addition, an autopsy could not determine when Claybrook died, but only that she died between March 4 and 10.
A woman in the Heritage Woods apartments claimed to have heard screams at 4 a.m. on the night that Claybrook disappeared, and a suspicious van was said to have been driving around the area where she disappeared. However, both rumors have since been discredited.
“Such tips were fully investigated back then,” Helm said. “Any new piece of information is what we follow up on.”
Murphy-Dohn believes that the ABC 2 News segment on the murder may have helped bring light to the case. Helm agreed, saying that when the press gets involved, people see the story, which often leads to information provided by the people. However, Helm would not say whether the most recent information came before or after the segment was aired.
The police cannot disclose information on their current leads. However, Det. Sgt. Edward Smith of the Bel Air Police Criminal Investigations Unit said that it is likely Jennifer knew her killer.
“Because of the type of girl she was and her personality, we think [Jennifer’s killer] was someone she knew,” Smith said in a 2009 interview with “The Aegis.” “We have no indication that it was a stranger.”
Gradishar said that, while she was not outgoing in class, Claybrook seemed to be a “typical freshman girl,” who had many friends.
According to Gradishar, hearing Claybrook’s name “sends a chill down my spine.” Gradishar wishes that the police could solve the case to bring comfort to the Claybrook family and friends. “I hope they manage to bring closure to everyone who knew her,” Gradishar said.
The murder is considered a cold case, meaning that the crime happened a while ago and no arrests have been made in regards to the murder. “The case is suspended until new information is found,” Helm said, adding that the case will “continue to remain open” until it is solved.
Since the murder, more than 100 people have been interviewed by detectives and investigators working for the Bel Air Police Department, the Harford County Sheriff’s Department, and the Maryland State Police. However, they have yet to publicly announce a suspect.
Still, Helm and Smith strongly believe that this case can be solved.
“Somebody out there is holding the key to bringing this case to a conclusion,” Smith told “The Aegis.”
Jenny Hottle can be reached for comment at [email protected].