The Washington times., 1935-02-07
BODY IN AUTO,
EX-AV|ATOR .
CONFESSES
Michigan Motorist Uses Name
of Victim; Lays Staying to
Jealousy Over Woman

KEE, Calf, Feb. 7
UNSO.-With the body Of his
victim, Robert Brown, Is, Of Kal.
amazoo, Mich, stuffed into an au-
tomobile trunk, a man identified
as Clarence R. Frechette, Is, of
Pontiac, Mich, was arrested here
early today when he drove across
the California-Nevada border.
According to police, he con-
fessed he committed the murder
eight days ago near Howell, Mich.
Grilled for two hours by State
patrolmen at the In tie rState
Checking Station, F'rechette, said
to be a former Michigan aviator,
insisted that he was Brown.
Breaks Down Suddenly
Suddenly he broke down, Off
GERS declared, and admitted he
shot Brown in a quarrel involving
woman who, he said, was his
sweetheart. Police withheld iden-
tity of the woman.
Three innocent hitch-hikers,
passengers in the death car, were
held in technical custody. They
were identified by police as Mrs
Victor Messenger, Alemeda, Cal;
her 3-year-old daughter, and John
Malcolm RivaS, Salt Lake City.
They were hitch-hiking to Cali.
fornia and were given a lift" by
Frechette from Salt Lake City.
Frechette made a complete
confession, Capt. J. e. Blake, Of
the State Highway Patrol. de
clared. The officer, however. re
fused to divulge details Of the
confession. He Immediately wired
Michigan authorities. -.
While county authorities await
ed word from Michigan on extra
dition procedure, Frechette was
taken to the county jail at
Nevada city.
Victim His Employer
Frechette was an employe OF
Brown, a trucking contractor.
whose father, Roy Brown, notified
Michigan police several days ago
of the mysterious disappearance
of his son.
Last night from Elko, New,
Frechette. who had been mas
querading as Brown, wired the
victims father asking for $50
The wire was signed Bob"
The father notified Nevada and
California police.
When F'rechette drove up to the
checking station this morning in
his victims light sedan and pre-.
sented Browns credentials, Cap.
tain Blake ordered him placed
under arrest.
Frechette protested, insisting
he was Brown and offering
credentials of the victim to the
officers. Captain Blake said:
"Never mind. Step out OF
that car and keep your hands
up"
Search revealed a .32-caliber
pistol in a pocket of the car.
Captain Blake, Deputy Sheriff
M. F. Dolly, two members of the
checking station, and Highway
Patrolman Charles E. McKeen
grilled Frechette, who pointed to
the built-in trunk on the back
of the car. Examination revealed
the victim had been shot through
the head.
Hikers Startled
Captain Blake quoted Frechette
as saying:
"BrOwn was Dragging how he
had put it over ON me with my
girl. We got in a fight, and in
the struggle over the gun,
Brown was shot.
81 knew If 1 was caught it
would be the rest Of my life in
Jail. 1 stuffed Browns body into
the trunk. Then I threw in his
hat.
81 drove back to Kalamazoo
and went to a movie. While I
was in the movie / decided to
drive West"
The hitch-hikers, unaware that
the fifth passenger in the car was
a corpse, were startled when Of
ficers discovered the body. Mrs
Messenger, hugging her 3-year-old
infant, wept.
Frechette will be taken to Ne
vada City, county seat Of Nevada
| county.