MONROE COUNTY, Mich. – A 27-year-old Newport man was charged Monday with second-degree murder in connection with Chelsea Bruck's death.
Daniel Clay was taken into custody Friday after a two-year investigation into Bruck's death.
"I don't want a bond. I'm not even going to ask for one," Clay told a judge at his arraignment.
Clay did ask for a court-appointed attorney, and he will be held until his next court hearing on July 28.
Bruck disappeared from a Halloween party in 2014. Her remains were found a year later in Ash Township.
The Wayne County Medical Examiner's Office ruled her death a homicide, saying she died from blunt force trauma to the head. Assistant prosecutor Michael Roehrig said Clay wasn't charged with first-degree murder because investigators don't believe the death was premediated.
Monroe County Sheriff Dale Malone said Clay was arrested on new evidence provided by Michigan State Police.
“During the interview [with the suspect], detectives obtained details that only the killer would have known as this information had never been disseminated to the public,” Malone said.
Family speaks about arrest
Chelsea Bruck's family released the following statement Monday evening:
"The family of Chelsea Bruck would like to thank our family, friends, and community for their continued support. We are thankful for the efforts of the Monroe County Sheriff's Department. We will now let the judicial system move forward with the next steps of the process. We continue to request our privacy during this matter."
Bruck disappeared in Poison Ivy costume
Bruck, 22, of Maybee, Mich., was last seen in October 2014 at a party in Frenchtown Township.
She had been wearing a Poison Ivy costume. Bruck didn’t drive, and had left her cellphone in a friend’s car.
Her remains were found at a home construction site on April 24, 2015.
Dental records were used to confirm the remains belonged to Bruck, and investigators said evidence at the scene indicated a homicide.
Girlfriend of suspect says he confessed to her
"He told me that he did it. I told him not to lie to me and that I wanted the truth, and if you love me, tell me the truth, and he told me he did it on accident," Richter said.
Richter said her boyfriend claimed that Bruck died during consensual sex that went too far.
Suspect has criminal history dating back to 2007
According to a criminal background check obtained by Local 4, the suspect has misdemeanor convictions for possessing controlled substances, breaking and entering, assault, and assaulting/resisting a police officer.
Timeline
Oct. 26, 2014: Chelsea Bruck vanishes from Halloween party in Monroe County
Bruck went missing on a Saturday night during a party on Post Road in Frenchtown Township. She was last seen wearing a Poison Ivy costume consisting on black pants and a leaf-covered top.
Oct. 29: Bruck's family, friends continue search
Nov. 2: Chelsea Bruck case: Police search for guards
Police search for the security guards that were hired for the party.
Nov. 4: More info sought from party goers about missing Chelsea Bruck
Nov. 12: Reward now $5,000 in Chelsea Bruck case
Nov. 17: Chelsea Bruck's family appeals for help
Nov. 24: Reward grows to more than $17,000 in case of missing Chelsea Bruck
March 19, 2015: Authorities search Michigan game area for missing Chelsea Bruck
Dozens of law enforcement officers search Pointe Mouillee Game Area in southeastern Michigan amid an effort to find Bruck.
April 5: New clue in missing Chelsea Bruck case
Police say they found what they believed to be a portion of Bruck's costume in the area of Peters Road and Vreeland in Flat Rock.
April 6: Helicopter, K9 search for Chelsea Bruck in Flat Rock
April 8: Family of missing Monroe County woman awaits information from police
April 24: Construction workers find body in rural Monroe County
Construction workers found the body around 2 p.m. Friday in a wooded area near train tracks in the village of Carleton. Officers from the Michigan State Police Crime Lab and Monroe County Sheriff's deputies arrived at the scene.
The construction crew was doing excavation work on a piece for property where a man is planning to build a house. The crew discovered the body while checking on a piece of equipment, police said.
April 25: Remains found in Monroe County identified as Chelsea Bruck
Dental records were used to confirm the remains belonged to Bruck, and investigators Saturday said evidence at the scene indicated a homicide.
June 9, 2016: Witness comes forward after pictures released in connection to Chelsea Bruck case
After the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office release photos of a person that was at the party and may have had information, the witness made contact with authorities.
July 16, 2016: Announcement of arrest made.