Mary Kelly, 57, was fatally stabbed shortly after arriving for work Tuesday morning at Factory Motor Parts in Swatara Township, and the man accused of killing her is a longtime employee who police say had been complaining about his hours and his rent. Clifton Emerson Sr., 63, was arrested in Maryland and now faces homicide charges in connection with her death.
Kelly was found dead at the Factory Motor Parts warehouse on Bobali Drive, according to the Swatara Township Police Department. As reported by pennlive.com, she was stabbed shortly after arriving at the workplace Tuesday morning. The Dauphin County Coroner's Office later ruled her death a homicide caused by extensive cut and stab wounds to her body, according to wgal.com.
A Trail of Blood Led Employees to Call 911
Employees arriving that morning reportedly noticed a spilled coffee cup on the hallway floor, a large hole in the drywall next to it, and a large pool of blood leading into their boss's office, the station's report states. The discovery prompted a 911 call after a worker looked through a window and saw Kelly on the floor, according to seed facts reported by The Shade Room. Officers who responded followed bloody footprints from the building to an adjacent warehouse, where they found two blood-covered kitchen-type knives and what appeared to be hair inside a trash can, per the same account.
Investigators also seized bloody shoes, a pair of bloody socks, a t-shirt or polo shirt, and a paystub from an apartment in Harrisburg, according to pennlive.com. That reporting identified the apartment as Emerson's home.
Surveillance Footage and a Red SUV
Surveillance footage reportedly showed Kelly arriving at work before a red SUV pulled in shortly after, as reported by local21news.com. Police matched Emerson's vehicle information with the footage and confirmed the SUV was his, that outlet reported. Police said no one else entered the building, and the man seen on camera left about 10 minutes later, according to wgal.com's reporting.
Each employee reportedly had an individual alarm code for the building, and seed facts attributed to the investigation indicate Kelly's own code was used to disarm the building alarm that morning. Employees told authorities Emerson had worked there for four years.
Suspect Arrested in Maryland, Denied Bail
Emerson was taken into custody in Maryland by Maryland State Police, according to the Swatara Township Police Department. Reports differ on the exact charge filed against him: pennlive.com reported he is charged with first-degree murder, while wgal.com reported he is charged with criminal homicide. The Swatara Township Police Department said Emerson was denied bail and will remain in custody awaiting a preliminary hearing.
Complaints About Hours and Rent, According to Employees
Court documents allege that in the lead-up to the killing, Emerson was upset about his work hours and not making enough money to pay rent, local21news.com reported, citing employees and court filings. Factory Motor Parts, in a statement to that outlet, described Kelly as “a dedicated member of the Factory Motor Parts family for many years” and said the company was cooperating with law enforcement.
Swatara Township Police detectives are continuing to assist with the investigation. The circumstances behind the attack, beyond what has been attributed to employees and court documents, remain under investigation.
