Neighbor arrested in grandmother’s beating death

The burglar who beat a 68-year-old grandmother to death with a frying pan as she walked into her Germantown home earlier this month probably was afraid she would recognize him, police said.

He had good reason to think that - he lived next door.

Detectives today arrested Corey Conaway, 18, in the death of his neighbor, Ellen Walton. The backs of their homes face each other across a shared alley.

"She has known him his whole life," said Capt. James Clark, commander of the Homicide Unit.

While Walton lay dead and undiscovered for more than a week, Conaway was joyriding in her Toyota, he said.

"Just total disregard for what he had done," Clark said.

Walton, a retired social worker active in her community, was not found until Conaway abandoned the car early Monday with two flat tires in East Mount Airy.

Someone who knew Walton went to her house on Magnolia Street to tell her the car had been stolen. A neighbor saw someone knocking on Walton's door and called 911, thinking a burglarly might be taking place.

Officers who responded noticed Walton's back door ajar and found her dead inside.

Detectives believe she might have been killed on Jan. 8, 10 days before she was discovered.

Walton typically parked her car in the rear of her house, so Conaway would have known she was not home when he broke in, Clark said.

Conaway, who lives in the 6300 block of Homer Street, was in the process of stealing several televisions and jewelry from Walton's home when she returned, Clark said.

Conaway hit her with a frying pan, knocking her down, and then beat her about the head until the frying pan broke, he said.

Clark would not describe how police came to focus on Conaway as the suspect, other than to praise the stellar detective work involved.

A neighbor, Ronald Wilcher, said he rushed home from work today after his 16-year-old son called with the news of Conaway's arrest.

He described Conaway as an intelligent young man, but said Conaway "became a hermit" after his father died about a year ago.

Wilcher said Conaway was being raised by his grandmother. No one answered at the home this evening. Shortly after 6 p.m., officers from the Crime Scene Unit arrived and went inside.

"I hope he didn't do it. I don't want to believe he confessed, but if he did, it was because he had no job and he wanted money," Wilcher said. "He looked at the closest thing near him - a neighbor with a nice car."

He described Walton as "one of the most beautiful neighbors - kind, always concerned."