PRINCESS ANNE, Md.- Students and staff at University of Maryland Eastern Shore say they're feeling a wave of relief after Maryland State Police arrested a suspect for a murder that happened on campus more than four years ago.
Davonta M. Braxton, a 25-year-old from Baltimore, was arrested on the UMES campus around 10:30 a.m. Friday in connection to the Feb. 16, 2013 murder of 21-year-old Edmond St. Clair of Baltimore.
According to police, St. Clair was a passenger in a car traveling across campus when he and those he was traveling with encountered several people who were walking in the street.The investigation revealed St. Clair got out of the car and a fight broke out, during which he was stabbed in the upper torso. St. Clair was taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead.
St. Clair was a student at UMES at the time of the incident. Braxton has been a student at the university in the past, but is not currently enrolled, according to school records.
"We have that closure, we have that OK... this is what happened. This is who did it, perfect. I can move forward, we can process," UMES senior Owanaemi Davies said.
UMES officials are also coming forward and thanking the police force for their hard work and dedication to this case.
"We don't want to be in a situation like this, no university wants to be in a situation like this where you have an unresolved incident, but the law enforcement really did a fantastic job bring closure to this incident," said UMES Interim Vice President J. Michael Harpe.
Some students explained their working to move past the situation and focus more on the future.
"We have to come to school to learn and grown and every day we need positivity and motivation and encouragement," said UMES senior, Roshequa Simpson.
Alumni who attended UMES during the time St. Clair was killed are commenting on social media about the latest developments in the case.
"Alumni who do reach out have said this case has really bothered them. And I have seen hashtags and things on Facebook... people saying, 'Finally," Davies said.
The university is now working to close this chapter of history, but they're making sure to not forget St. Clair. According to a statement put out by the university, UMES has reached out to St. Clair's family. They say they'll always remember him as a student with a deep love of music.
"Relief is the biggest thing we're dealing with here because again this was something that was an open case and nobody had any idea of where we were or where we stood in regards to solving that situation," Harpe said.
