Jay Clayton Nelson, age 53, passed away on November 10, 2018. He was born on July 8, 1965, in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota. Nelson had a distinguished career in law enforcement, serving as the Chief of Police in Lake Park, Minnesota, and working as a deputy sheriff for Becker County, among other roles. On the evening of November 10, 2018, Nelson was found deceased in a vehicle on a logging trail near Yellowhead Trail, approximately half a mile east of the trail.
The Becker County Sheriff's Office received the report around 6:09 p.m. Emergency responders identified Nelson and a provisional autopsy indicated that he died from a gunshot wound.
The incident was initially reported as a hunting-related accident. The Becker County Sheriff's Office sought public assistance in locating anyone who might have been hunting in the area on that day or who might have heard gunshots. Despite the investigation, there were no immediate suspects or arrests reported in connection with Nelson's death. The authorities continued to investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident, but no further details about suspects or arrests were available from the sources reviewed.
