Concord Homeless Drifter Logan Clegg Double Murder Trial Set For July

CONCORD, NH — A suspect in a double-murder case in Concord, which gripped the city for many months last spring, was in superior court for a dispositional conference hearing on Monday.

Logan Lavar Clegg, who turned 27 last week, is scheduled to face a jury on July 11 on eight felony counts. The charges include two counts of second-degree murder, accused of shooting and killing Stephen and Djeswende Reid on April 18, 2022, on the Marsh Loop trail in East Concord; two counts of second-degree murder (alternative — for “recklessly causing the death” of the couple “under circumstances manifesting an extreme indifference to the value of human life by shooting her with a gun”); three counts of falsifying physical evidence — accused of physically moving their bodies to conceal them and burning his tent and campsite to hide evidence; and a single count of convicted felon, for being a felon accused of possessing a firearm.

Clad in an orange jumpsuit and paper mask, Clegg was led into the courtroom completely shackled. Throughout the entire procedure, he remained still and did not speak, move, or flinch.

His attorneys, Caroline Smith and Mariana Dominguez, both public defenders, filed paperwork on Friday waiving an arraignment and requesting a speedy trial on behalf of Clegg.

Judge John Kissinger, along with setting a date for trial, said he would consider, too, a motion by the New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office to unseal affidavits involved with the case.

Setting A Trial Date

The judge and attorneys first discussed a trial date, with Kissinger asking if they thought a week would be enough time.

Sakowski said probably eight to 10 days, with Smith countering the defense thought the trial would take longer.

“A solid two weeks, for sure,” she said.

Kissinger asked how soon it should be brought to trial. Smith said they would be ready by October or November, noting the court was “completely booked” through late August.

“October is rough for me,” Kissinger said. “But, is there a preference for November over September?”

Danielle Sakowski, a senior assistant attorney general, told Kissinger she had a first-degree case in November already booked in Belknap County. He asked if September was too soon, and Smith said she was already booked for early in the month.

Sakowski, Joshua Speicher, an assistant attorney general, Smith, and Dominguez all approached the bench and discussed sitting jurors, already booked cases, and court dockets through the fall. Kissinger could be heard saying December was “always tough” and proposed a January 2024 trial. Later, they discussed setting the trial for early July.

Smith and Dominguez returned to Clegg and conferred with him but he did not appear to respond to the suggestion. The lawyers returned to the bench again, with Kissinger saying there were challenges in the summer, too. But, he added, some teachers would not be working, and others, too, who might be able to serve on a jury.

Kissinger believed there would be more available jurors in the summer than in December.

After about 10 minutes, the attorneys returned to their desks, and Kissinger set jury selection for July 10, with a trial to start on July 11.

Unsealing Case Documents

Kissinger also addressed a request to unseal documents and affidavits connected to the case made by the attorney general’s office on Friday.

Defense counsel filed an objection on Monday.

Kissinger asked prosecutors if they had anything to add to their request, and Sakowski said they did not.

Smith, however, laid out several objections, including prejudicing any possible jurors who were not already exposed to the case. She also said some of the items in the documents were not connected to the case.

“There is certainly a level of prejudice to the extent that the court is … it’s not a pleading; it’s not a response to anything … that affidavit sits there for no particular purpose under the court rules, in this docket,” Smith said. “It certainly has a purpose — just like search warrants have a purpose. But they are investigatory tools, and they are a summary that gets reviewed from the court to make sure the police and the state have met their burden to be able to utilize these tools.”

Smith called much of the information “essentially a one-sided summary of the state’s best case or law enforcement’s best case. It is very similar to the grand jury, that all of the procedures in this docket were done without any input by the defendant or role of the defendant.”

She added, “although the public has a right to know about this case, this case, and what they know, should be those things that are a part of the adversarial process.”

After back and forth about Gerstein affidavits released in most criminal cases as well as “almost any other case in Merrimack County,” Kissinger said, which allows for the information to be released, and Smith countering the information should come out at trial, the judge said he would take the matter under advisement and would issue a ruling later.

The attorneys will get back to the court by Feb. 17, confirming the trial dates, and the hearing was adjourned.

Prior Patch Coverage

• Homeless Drifter Indicted On 8 Charges In Concord Couple Murder Case
• Concord Double Murder Suspect Brought To NH, Waives Arraignment
• Concord Detectives Use Bullet Evidence, Alias To Find Suspected Killer
• AG: Clegg, Accused Of Murders, Acted Alone In Concord Double Homicide: Watch
• Vermont Fugitive Logan Clegg Arrested On Concord Murder Charges
• Person Of Interest In Concord Double Homicide Case Arrested In VT
• Investigators Eyeing 400+ Tips In Retired Concord Couple Homicide Case
• SUV Has 'No Connection' To Concord Double Homicide Case: Investigators
• Investigators: Toyota SUV Owner Not A Suspect In Concord Homicide Case
• Every Motive Being Eyed In Concord Double Homicide Case: Investigators
• Concord Police Overtime Inches Up In Wake Of Heights Homicide Case
• FBI, Detectives Expand Concord Homicide Case Canvass
• Sketch From Concord Couple Killings Investigation Leads To 100+ Tips
• Concord Retired Couple Killings Reward Increased To $50K: Alert
• Person Of Interest Sought In Concord Retired Couple Killings Case
• Concord Crimeline Posts $5K Reward In Retired Couple Shootings Case
• Concord Police Beef Up Patrols, Visibility In Recreation Areas, Trails
• A Week Later, Police Chip Away At Concord Double Homicide Leads: Video
• Investigators Back At Concord Retired Couple Shootings Crime Scene
• Concord Residents Face A Mix Of Fear, Faith After Couple Shot, Killed
• Search Grid At Concord Homicide Scene Shows Sprawling Clues
• Concord Couple Shooting Update: FBI Working With Investigators
• Police, Fish & Game Search For Suspicious Death Clues In East Concord
• Missing Concord Couple's Deaths Ruled Homicides; Police Seek Tips
• Suspicious Deaths Investigation Underway At Concord's Marsh Loop Trail
• Dozens Of Police Search Concord Heights For Missing Couple: Video
• Missing Concord Couple's 'Disappearance Is Of Significant Concern'

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