Man Charged With First-Degree Murder In Md. Woman's Death

LEONARDTOWN, Md. (AP) -- The St. Mary's County Bureau of Criminal Investigations says detectives have charged a Lexington Park man with first-degree murder in the death of a woman whose body was found along a trail.

John Morris Quade Jr., 31, was arrested Tuesday and charged in the slaying of Moneta Jo Strickland, 32, of Mechanicsville.

Strickland's body was found Saturday after she went missing on Thursday. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner ruled the cause of death was blunt force trauma to the body.

Investigations say authorities identified Quade from video surveillance and a vehicle in the area where Strickland's body was found. Police say Quade is a registered sex offender.

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