BEDFORD – A Bedford man was arrested after an investigation into the theft of a trail camera.
Clayton McKinney, 23, was arrested on Saturday, May 17, on charges of theft, criminal trespass, and criminal mischief.
According to a Probable Cause Affidavit filed by Lawrence County Police Department Sgt. Whitney Daugherty-Anderson, deputies responded to a call from a woman in the 500 block of Sunny Acres Lane regarding stolen items from her property and the person possibly still on the property.
Upon arrival, Sgt. Daugherty-Anderson met with the woman, who showed her the tree where a trail camera had been attached. Only a nylon strap and removed batteries remained. Deckard provided photos on her phone of a black GMC Envoy with significant front-end damage, a missing grill, and an individual standing near the vehicle taken when the trail camera was triggered. Sgt. Daugherty-Anderson recognized the individual in the photos as Clayton McKinney, having had previous interactions with him.
Later, while searching for the GMC Envoy, Sgt. Daugherty-Anderson located a vehicle matching the description at McKinney’s residence on Middle Avenue. After observing the vehicle arrive, Sgt. Daugherty-Anderson and Officer Kyle Long spoke to McKinney, who was standing on his porch. The front-end damage on the GMC Envoy matched the vehicle in photos.
When questioned about who drove the GMC Envoy that day, McKinney allegedly stated it was a friend. However, when told the trail camera captured him, he denied it was him and claimed he didn’t know who it could be. He also denied owning the vehicle or having a car at all. McKinney stated his “friend” had left, despite officers having observed no one leaving the residence.
Sgt. Daugherty-Anderson showed McKinney a photo of him with the vehicle at Sunny Acres Lane, but McKinney continued to deny his involvement. When asked why he stole the trail camera, McKinney allegedly said he didn’t. He then suggested the camera might be on the side of the road, possibly near the fire station, though he could not provide a reason for it being there. He also claimed he was on Sunny Acres Lane because it was a dead-end road and that perhaps someone else was “tripped out” about being seen on camera.
McKinney was placed in handcuffs and advised of his Miranda Rights. When asked again about the camera’s location, he stated it was inside the house. McKinney then told his grandmother, who answered the door, that the trail camera was hidden in the wall. The grandmother retrieved the camera from the wall and handed it to Sgt. Daugherty-Anderson.
The affidavit notes that “no trespassing” signs were posted near the stolen trail camera. McKinney was transported to the Lawrence County Jail without incident.
All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. This article is based on the information provided in the Probable Cause Affidavit and does not represent a final determination of guilt or innocence.
