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| Jeffrey Dwight Locke |
Locke, 50, is accused of the brutal beating death of 69-year-old Glen McLean of Canton Township. According to court filings, McLean allowed Locke, who is reportedly homeless, to intermittently stay in his River Woods Drive North home. According to the victim's son, Derek McLean who testified during the preliminary hearing last week, Locke also brought five or six cats and a dog to stay at the home. He said his father paid Locke to work on one of his vehicles and the two shared an interest in cars.
McLean told the court that the friendship between the two became toxic and that his father told him that Locke had assaulted him on occasion. When his father failed to respond to phone calls, McLean went to his father's home and discovered a bloody scene in the garage. His father was missing as was a 2021 Ford Mustang. During the court hearing, a neighbor testified that she heard the men arguing on several occasions.
Police officers testified to the bloody scene in the victim's garage noting several items had blood on them as did a roll of duct tape. Other evidence submitted included photos of the bloody scene and the autopsy report of the Wayne County coroner which found that McLean suffered at least 13 severe blows to his head, neck and torso, along with other areas of his body.
Police attempted to locate McLean by pinging his phone which was located in Dearborn. Officers found the missing phone in the victim's Mustang parked in Dearborn with Locke at the wheel. Locke gave responding officers conflicting statements regarding McLean's whereabouts. A Canton Township officer had cause to request Locke to open the truck of the vehicle where McLean's body was located.
“This matter started off as a missing person investigation that culminated finding the missing person badly beaten, wrapped up in duct tape in the trunk of his own car,” Gerou said following several hours of testimony. “There's certainly ample probable cause...to show that homicide in the first degree, premeditated, was committed.
“I think there's a strong case that (Locke) committed a brutal murder,” Gerou said in his ruling, sending Locke to face a circuit court trial. If convicted he faces life in prison.
