CUMBERLAND – The19-year-old  nephew of Rose Marie Leyh, 42, whose body was discovered at her residence on Essex Place in Cumberland in May, has been arrested and charged in connection with her murder.
            Investigators with the Allegany County Combined Criminal Investigation Unit (C3I), along with officers from the Cumberland Police Department, arrested Thomas Lance Krenn, of Oldtown Road, on Friday morning.
            Mrs. Leyh had a connection with the Keyser area, as her estranged husband, Steven B. Leyh, 31, had formerly worked in Keyser. He was initially charged for allegedly interfering with police when they arrived at his residence with a search warrant in the early days of the investigation, but was not identified as a suspect in the murder.
           The Cumberland Police and C3I Investigators were first notified of the murder on May 26 when Ms. Leyh’s body was discovered at her residence by family members. An autopsy was performed by the Maryland State Medical Examiner’s Office, and it was determined that Ms. Leyh died as the result of blunt force trauma to the head.
 A joint investigation led to the recovery of forensic evidence at the scene. Numerous interviews were conducted, and known DNA samples collected from several individuals. All the evidence was forwarded to the Maryland State Police Crime Lab for analysis.
At the time of the autopsy it was noted that the victim had a human bite mark in the vicinity of her right hip, apparently caused by the suspect. Among the items collected and forwarded to the MSP Crime Lab for comparison was a sample from this bite mark. The sample was identified as human saliva, and DNA from the sample was obtained and identified. It was compared with the known samples collected by investigators, which ultimately linked the bite mark to Krenn. In addition, DNA evidence obtained from the victim’s clothing, and from the victim’s fingernail scrapings, also linked Krenn to the crime.
C3I Investigators obtained an arrest warrant for Krenn based on the lab analysis. A search warrant was obtained for his residence, and was served in conjunction with his arrest. Numerous items of evidence were removed from the residence.
Further investigation has determined that the blunt force trauma that caused Leyh’s death was the result of being struck by two different baseball bats, which occurred during a struggle in the victim’s residence during the early morning hours on May 26.
Investigators further learned that Krenn acted alone, and was not assisted by anyone else before or after the incident.
           Krenn has been charged with first degree murder. He will be taken before a District Court Commissioner for an initial appearance, and will be held at the Allegany County Detention Center, without bond, pending his next court appearance.
Michael Twigg, state’s attorney for Allegany County, said, “I want to thank C3I, local law enforcement, and the Maryland State Police Crime Lab for their tireless efforts in this matter.  I also appreciate the public’s patience awaiting the completion of this investigation.”
Cumberland Police Department Chief Charles Hinnant also expressed his appreciation to everyone involved in this three month investigation, and remarked “This is just one more example of the cooperation that exists between law enforcement at every level.”
The C3I Unit and the Cumberland Police were assisted by the Maryland State Police Evidence Collection Unit members assigned to C3I, the C3I Narcotics Task Force, and the Maryland State Police Homicide Unit.