She retired after 30 years with General Motors to a home on Augustine Herman Highway in Elkton, and 60-year-old Karen Colclough cherished spending time with her family.
RELATED: Man arrested after 60-year-old found dead in Elkton home
Then, late last week her phone went silent.
“Family had not heard from her for some time,” said Sgt. DaVaughn Parker of the Maryland State Police, “They responded out to her place to do a welfare check and upon them arriving at her home, they observed her unresponsive and gave us a call right away.”
According to charging documents, when police arrived on Sunday morning, they found Colclough lying face down on the floor of her kitchen in a pool of blood.
They also discovered a bloody baseball bat and shovel lying side-by-side on a bed, a bottle of bleach, which had been poured over the victim's body and there was evidence someone had ransacked the house looking for cash or valuables.
“Since then, they've been investigating friends, family and residents in the area that have led to an arrest,” said Parker, “The suspect in custody is, indeed, her nephew. State police investigators at this time still don't know the motive.”
Court records suggest the victim had texted her brother claiming 25-year-old Jacob Michael Johnston had shown up at Colclough's home three days earlier asking for money and a place to stay, because he was homeless and had just gotten out of jail.
She went on to say she was trying to get rid of him, but it now appears he may have killed her that very same day.
According to a court document, Johnston also stole his aunt's Cadillac and picked up his girlfriend that same day claiming it was a rental.
She would later tell investigators they drove in it to Philadelphia to pawn some jewelry and he left it there, wiping it down before getting a ride back to Elkton.
