In a tragic event that marked the first triple homicide in the history of Aberdeen, Maryland, 45-year-old Melissa L. Williams was killed on April 15, 2024. She was discovered alongside two other victims, John Claytor, 54, and Talaya Wiley, 48, in an apartment at the Highland Commons complex.
Emergency services were initially called to the scene for a fire on the second floor of the apartment building.
After extinguishing the flames, firefighters found the bodies of Williams, Claytor, and Wiley inside. Investigators later determined that all three victims had been shot in the head and that the fire was intentionally set, with evidence suggesting the use of gasoline.
Within two weeks of the incident, authorities arrested 35-year-old Michael Swann in connection with the murders. Surveillance footage allegedly captured Swann outside the apartment before and after the killings. A backpack found near the scene contained items that linked him to the crime. DNA evidence collected at the scene also connected Swann to the three deaths. Swann was apprehended at another apartment within the same complex on April 23 after a brief standoff.
At the time of the murders, Swann was already wanted on an outstanding warrant for shooting a woman in Prince George's County in February 2024 and had a federal warrant for parole violations. He has since been charged with three counts of both first and second-degree murder, first and second-degree arson, and several other charges. Swann is being held without bail at the Harford County Detention Center. The mother of Melissa Williams expressed her gratitude to the Aberdeen Police Department for their support and for keeping her informed throughout the investigation.
