Sex Offender Charged with Murder in Md. Woman's Death

A 31-year-old Lexington Park, Md. sex offender was charged Tuesday in the murder of a missing Maryland woman, whose body was found near a trail Sunday.

Moneta Jo Strickland, 32, was last seen Thursday heading to John V. Badgett Park and later reported missing. Her body was found Sunday near the Three Notch Trail, and medical examiners say the cause of her death was determined as blunt force trauma. Her cousins told News4 she was engaged to be married.

John Morris Quade, Jr., a registered sex offender, was a named a suspect in Strickland's death after he being seen on surveillance video at nearby businesses. He also matched the description of a suspicious person at the trail prior to the murder.

Quade was arrested without incident Tuesday and charged with first degree murder, first degree assault and robbery. He is awaiting a bond hearing.

Contact Us