Logan Clegg, a man residing in a tent in the woods of New Hampshire, was convicted of murder on Monday in connection with the fatal shooting of a retired couple who had gone for a walk on a nearby trail.
Following a day and a half of deliberation, a jury found Logan Clegg, 27, guilty on four counts of second-degree murder related to the 2022 killings of Stephen and Djeswende Reid. Clegg was also convicted on one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and four counts of falsifying physical evidence, which included moving and concealing the victims’ bodies, setting fire to his tent, and erasing information from his laptop.
Clegg could face a sentence of up to life in prison when his sentencing takes place on December 15, according to an official statement.
Attorney General John Formella expressed, “Today, our thoughts are with Stephen and Djeswende Reid, their family, and all those who knew and loved them.”
Clegg is currently being held without bail until his sentencing. An attorney representing Clegg has not issued any comments.
‘Extreme Indifference to Human Life’
Federal prosecutors stated that the Reids left their residence at 2:22 p.m. on Monday, April 18, 2022, to take a walk around the Broken Ground Trails area. They were not observed or heard from after that point.
Several days later, officials released a notice regarding the “suspicious deaths” of the couple but withheld their names while informing their family.
On April 22, New Hampshire police identified the couple as Stephen Reid, 67, and Djeswende Reid, 66. Authorities revealed that their bodies were discovered in a wooded area near a trail off Portsmouth Street in Concord, the state’s capital, a few days later. Police reported that the bodies had been moved and concealed under leaves, sticks, and debris.
Autopsies later determined that the Reids had died from multiple gunshot wounds, according to prosecutors.
Prosecutors contended that Clegg “knowingly and recklessly” took the lives of the couple and exhibited “extreme indifference to the value of human life by using a firearm.”
Defense Attorney: ‘They Got the Wrong Guy’
Clegg, who had used an alias when questioned by the police, had burned his tent, erased data from his computer, and purchased a one-way bus ticket out of the city, according to The Associated Press.
He was apprehended in South Burlington, Vermont, in possession of a firearm in his backpack, a counterfeit passport, and a one-way plane ticket to Berlin.
Clegg’s defense lawyers consistently maintained his innocence, asserting that he had left New Hampshire not due to murder charges but because he was evading law enforcement after violating his probation related to burglary and theft charges in Utah.
“Logan Clegg is not guilty,” stated Defense Attorney Mariana Dominguez. “Police investigated, but instead of looking at the science and at the evidence with clear eyes, they speculated. They assumed… They saw only what they wanted to see. They got the wrong guy.”
Prosecutors argued that Clegg’s attempt to flee and the firearm discovered in his possession provided evidence of his guilt. Shell casings and bullet fragments, consistent with the material found during the autopsies, were located at the crime scene and at Clegg’s campsite.
The couple’s son, Brian Reid, remarked after the verdict, “A liar, a thief, a murderer has been brought to justice today, more importantly forever… Let it be known that the legacy of my parents’ humanitarian work, their kindness, their love for life will endure. Let today be a reminder of the value of human life and the strength of community.
