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Inmate confesses to 32-year-old cold case

By WTOP Staff

Amanda Iacone and Dick Uliano, wtop.com

FAUQUIER, Va. – Fauquier County Sheriff’s investigators say a West Virginia man has confessed to the 1980 shooting death of Brad Baker, calling it premeditated murder.

Arrest warrants for murder and related charges were filed Tuesday against Ronald Richard Cloud, 64, an inmate at Mt. Olive Correctional Center in West Virginia. Police credited new investigative techniques and new lines of inquiry in 2012, which led to Cloud’s confession, more than 30 years later.

“Our family and friends have waited a long time for this day,” said Baker’s sister Blythe Patenaude. “You cannot imagine the pain, agony, grief.”

Patenaude joined sheriff’s investigators and the county prosecutor to announce the initial charges at a news conference Tuesday.

Officials are seeking to extradite Cloud from West Virginia and a preliminary hearing has not been scheduled yet. The case must go before a grand jury before he would be formally indicted.

According to the criminal complaint outlining the county’s case, Cloud drove to Virginia after dark and during a snowstorm armed with a shotgun to confront Baker, his stepfather’s boss. Baker had fired Cloud’s stepfather earlier that New Year’s Eve day and his family faced eviction in the middle of the winter.

Cloud told investigators that he and Baker “exchanged words” at the front door of Baker’s two-story farmhouse. When Baker ran to a back bedroom, Cloud broke in the front door and entered the home, the complaint said.

“In an exchange of gunfire, he shot Mr. Baker,” court records said.

Baker was found with shots to his head and groin, with the front door window panes smashed out.

Baker, 32, had just taken the job of managing Kinloch Farm, a sprawling estate in Northern Fauquier owned by the Currier family, descendents of Andrew Mellon and Stephen Currier, of the famed Currier and Ives prints. About 50 other employees lived on the farm, including Cloud’s mother and stepfather.

Investigators initially considered a romantic or sexual motive for the crime, because of the wound to Baker’s groin. But exhaustive rounds of investigations, including efforts in 1995, ruled out that possibility, court records said.

Investigators also considered whether the shooting was in retaliation of Cloud’s stepfather’s dismissal. But his stepfather provided police with an alibi and he was quickly ruled out as a suspect, according to the criminal complaint.

Cloud told investigators that his stepfather had no involvement in his plan to kill Baker, court documents said.

In the charging documents, police say that Cloud willfully, deliberately and with premeditation killed Baker.

In addition to the murder charge, Cloud also faces initial charges of use of a firearm during the commission of a felony, burglary, and maliciously discharging a firearm in an occupied building.

Cloud is serving time in a West Virginia prison for convictions for kidnapping, conspiracy to commit kidnapping, malicious assault and sexual assault, according to the West Virginia Division of Corrections.

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(Copyright 2013 by WTOP. All Rights Reserved.)

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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