Reward offered for information in slaying

By Janie Home .1 I 
News mono Writer

About six weeks ago. the body at an
Okeechobee nun who had been stabbed
to death was ioand ?oating in a ditch in
western St. Lucie County.

'I'tm St. Lucie County sheriff?s detec-
titrea have since logged 2W hoists at over-
thne in an eliorl to learn who ldlled
Albert Tront CI 33. a construction

or er a run driver who was a
longtime resident of Couns

Hun Thursday. the sheriffs departs
toent announced that relatives and
triends of Clay have established a $1.0m]
reward for interrelation leading to the

Murder probe lea-idem}? 0

arrest and hone?inthon oi the meridians.

it win bring someone tor-
ward. said hiberta C- rlt'i?ls of
Cheschobee. Clay's aunt.

Clay's body was discovered floatingr tn
Rim Ditch near Dkeechohee Road en
ti arch 31 by workers who were replacing
sandbags on a bridge. Detectives said the
Lady had been In the water about three

5.
Elay's car had been found abandoned
thrEE' days earlier on Taylor Dairy Road.
It had boon horned. probably by an-
meone who wanted to destroy linger-
prinls and other evidence, Delecthre
Hohert Miller said Thursday-

"It's possible that more than one per-
son could have been invollFed." Hiltor

 

We?oe ?nished about three-
fourths of what we original-
ly set out to do. I'm hoping
this reward will stir some ire
terest.

?Detecthre Bob Miller

 

 

said. "since he had been stabbed multi-
ple limes front and basil and dumped in
the canal and since the car he had been
driving was toasted ill to 25 re?ne
I?ly-Ft

Miller said no realise has been
established. He said detectives are not
close to making an arrest. although

"there are a couple at people we're
looking into."

?We don't know whether he was
transported in the car.? he said- "We
don't know where the actual rnurdar
scene was. but we dealt believe he was
where his body was found."

Clay. who had worked In construction.
was unemrloyed at the tiers of his death
but had 1: snned to start a new job dris'v
ibg lruclls the next day. Miller said.

He had left the Dlieechohee house he
sham: with his girlfriend at about I
P-m. En route to the Black Angus-lounge.
which he went to Iarly. He onlyhad
a few dollars in his wallet. Miller said.

?As far as we know. he never made it
inside." Hills:- sajd. ?Nobody who was

keechobee

Ber Eue?mith
Hem Tnhune Writer

Detectives Investigating the death of
Albert Trent may say they are still question-

it peep in Okeechobee County concerning
the man's death-

Clay. 31'. or lihhli NW. 33rd Terrace.
Cheechnbee. was found floating In itlm [inch
on March 31 by a construction crew 
on the til-leechobea Road bridge that crosses
Him Ditch west of Fort Pierce.

St. Lucie County sheriffs Detective lion
Miller said Tuesday that he and Sgt. Mike
Cramer were in Dileachobee all last week in-
restigatlng Clay '5 death.

"We still have a lot of people to tali_t_to.
We'll be back in Okeechobee tomorrow. he

said.

Both the Okeechobee County Sheriit's
Department and the Cteechobce Police
Department are assisting with-the investiga-
tion. Hiller said.

Clay was last seen alive March as when he

reportedly left his home driving a car which
belonged to his Sherry Bowley.
also still: eachohee. 

The rs'r was fasted burned alongside Taylor
Dairy Road. northwest of Fort Pierre. the
interning after Clay was last seen in-
said Bowiey reported Clay miss-
ing to the Ulteechohne County sheriff's office
after the car was located.

Miller declined to say whether Clay. 1who
had been stabbed about two dozen times was
killed at Rim Ditch. in the car or at another
site.

there that slight. who we tall-ted to. saw
him some in.? - 
Clay was born in St. Lucie County.
Griffin said. but spent most of his life in
Ckeechobee or hidlantown. He was
divorced last tail. His former wits and
their two children live in Lake Wales.
".lis tar. as I knew. Trent was just an
average guy.? 
Slat-titre spokesmen asked
anyone with information about the
murder contact Hitler or Sgt. Mite

that -

Cranmer. at dbl-m0. Responses will be 

Ilept confidential.

"We've finished about lhree-tourths
at what we originally set out to do.?
Hitler said. ?For hoping this reward will"
stir some interest."