Brownsville man finally indicted for a 2012 murder of his girlfriend

January 8, 2019 By Rob Abruzzese Brooklyn Daily Eagle

Eric Gonzalez. Eagle file photo by Rob Abruzzese

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A man whose girlfriend was found inside a laundry bag in Brownsville in 2012 was finally indicted on murder charges after DNA evidence recently connected him to the 7-year-old case, Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez announced on Tuesday.

Clayton Wilkins, a 59-year-old from Brownsville, was officially indicted on murder charges for the death of his then 50-year-old girlfriend, whose body was found inside a laundry bag that was left on a street in Brooklyn.

“A thorough examination of the forensic evidence in this cold case and additional recent investigatory steps allowed us to bring murder charges in order to hold the alleged killer responsible,” Gonzalez said. “My Cold Case Unit continues to work diligently with the NYPD to identify and investigate past crimes, including those that lie dormant, in an attempt to bring all offenders to justice.”

According to the DA, on Feb. 15, 2012, at approximately 12:30 p.m., the body of Renee Staton, of Manhattan, was found outside of 101 Lott Ave. in Brooklyn. She was last seen leaving the Bridge’s lyana House in East Harlem, a shelter for homeless women.

Recently, forensic analysis was able to match evidence recovered from the victim’s fingernails, from the scarf she was wearing and from the drawstrings of the laundry bag used to stash her body to the defendant, according to the DA’s Office. The defendant denied ever seeing the laundry bag or being scratched by the victim.

Wilkins was arraigned on Monday in front of Supreme Court Justice Vincent Del Giudice on one count of second-degree murder and one count of first-degree strangulation. He was ordered held without bail and will return to court on March 22, where he faces a maximum of up to 25 years in prison if convicted.