Ep. 081 | Chelsea Bruck: The Halloween Party Murder
Chelsea Bruck, a 22-year-old woman from Flat Rock, Michigan, disappeared in the early hours of October 26, 2014, after attending a large Halloween party near Newport with hundreds of attendees. Separated from her friends and without her phone, she was last seen wearing a Poison Ivy costume and asking strangers for a ride home. Six months later, her skeletal remains were discovered in a rural area in Ash Township, and the cause of death was determined to be blunt force trauma to the head. The investigation eventually identified Daniel Clay as the perpetrator after his DNA matched evidence found on Bruck’s discarded costume. He was convicted of felony murder.
SOURCES:
Associated Press. (2015, January 30). 2 accused of lying about missing Michigan woman. CBS News. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/2-accused-of-lying-about-missing-michigan-woman/
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Associated Press. (2017, July 14). Man sentenced to life in woman’s death after Halloween party. WKAR News. https://www.wkar.org/news/2017-07-14/man-sentenced-to-life-in-womans-death-after-halloween-party
ClickOnDetroit. (2014, November 5). More info sought from party goers about missing Chelsea Bruck. WDIV Local 4 News. https://www.clickondetroit.com/news/2014/11/05/more-info-sought-from-party-goers-about-missing-chelsea-bruck/
ClickOnDetroit. (2016, August 8). Timeline: Key events in the Chelsea Bruck case (2014–2016). WDIV Local 4 News. https://www.clickondetroit.com/news/2016/08/08/suspect-in-chelsea-bruck-slaying-arraigned-in-unrelated-home-invasion-sexual-assault/
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Harris, C. (2017, May 17). Michigan man convicted of murder after claiming he accidentally strangled victim, 22, during sex. People. https://people.com/crime/chelsea-bruck-case-daniel-clay-convicted-murder/
Michigan Court of Appeals. (2019, January 8). People of MI v. Daniel Clay (No. 339659, Unpublished Per Curiam Opinion). Justia. https://law.justia.com/cases/michigan/court-of-appeals-unpublished/2019/339659.html
NBC News. (2021). The Halloween Party [TV series episode]. In Dateline NBC. NBCUniversal Media. https://archive.org
Rowe, K. (2017, May 16). Daniel Clay found guilty of felony murder in Chelsea Bruck death. Fox 2 Detroit. https://www.fox2detroit.com/news/daniel-clay-found-guilty-of-felony-murder-in-chelsea-bruck-death
Shaffe, N. (2016, July 25). 27-year-old Daniel Clay charged in Chelsea Bruck murder case. WXYZ Detroit. https://www.wxyz.com/news/27-year-old-daniel-allen-clay-charged-in-chelsea-bruck-murder-case
WWJ Newsradio 950. (2015, April 6). Will clothing found in field provide break in case of woman missing since Halloween? CBS Detroit. https://www.cbsnews.com/detroit/news/will-clothing-found-in-field-provide-break-in-case-of-woman-missing-since-halloween/
