Suspect: Pegg was child molester

STILLWATER — Clark T. Fredericks, who was arrested on June 13 for the murder of Stillwater resident Dennis Pegg, told police that Pegg "got what was coming to him" and that he was a "child molester for years," according to his arrest affidavit obtained by The Township Journal. According to the affidavit, Fredericks, 46, of Stillwater, and Robert Reynolds, 47, of Mansfield, drove to Pegg's house in Stillwater armed with knives on the night of June 12. Reynolds said that the two entered Pegg's house and that Fredericks "immediately began stabbing Dennis Pegg with a knife." Reynolds said he ran out of the house and began backing his vehicle down the driveway before it got stuck. Fredericks came out of the house and helped free the vehicle, after which the two drove to Fredericks' house in Stillwater. Reynolds told police that Fredericks removed his clothing and hid both knives. Reynolds then drove to his house in Mansfield where he power-washed the car they used. Police also spoke with Fredericks' mother, Joan, who told them that her son came home around 2 a.m. on June 13 with cuts on his hands and blood on his clothes. She said she tried to get him to go to a hospital but he refused, took some sleeping pills, and went to bed. Police were alerted when Joan Fredericks called Franklin counselor Diane Howe and told her that she believed her son may have hurt or killed someone the night before. Howe then called State Police and asked them to do a well-being check on Pegg. She later spoke with Fredericks' sister, who said she believed her brother may have hurt or killed Pegg. When troopers arrived at the residence they found Pegg dead, with a slash wound to his neck and several stab wounds to his torso. According to the affidavit, Joan Fredericks told police that Reynolds was also involved. Fredericks was charged with first-degree homicide and is being represented by Newton attorney Daniel M. Perez. Reynolds was charged with first-degree complicity/murder, first-degree conspiracy/murder and fourth-degree evidence tampering. He is being represented by John Vazquez of Critchley, Kinum and Vazquez in Roseland. According to Pegg's obituary, he was a lifelong resident of Sussex County and graduated from Newton High School in 1962. He was an Army veteran and worked for the Sussex County Sheriff's Office for 28 years, retiring as a senior lieutenant. Fredericks and Reynolds are currently lodged in the Sussex County Jail. According to Sussex County Sheriff’s Investigator Lee P. Liddy, Fredericks is under a medical watch and is being kept separate from the general inmate population.