Arrested: Police believe Clayton Courtney responsible for murder of Britney Cross

JANESVILLE (WITI) -- Janesville police say they have arrested Clayton Courtney in the death of 21-year-old Britney Cross of Edgerton. Janesville police say on Thursday, June 19th, they went to the Rock County Jail and arrested Courtney in Cross' death. Courtney will make his initial court appearance in the case on Friday, June 20th.

Courtney is currently in custody at the Rock County Jail -- accused of nearly killing his roommate, Michael Clark.

Courtney faces six charges in that case, including:

Courtney is set to stand trial in that case.

Courtesy Janesville Gazette

Courtney was arrested in that case on May 4th.

Police say Courtney stabbed his roommate, Michael Clark that night -- nearly to death.

Clark says he was stabbed about five times with a steak knife from his own kitchen by Courtney -- his best friend.

Clark says his pregnant girlfriend and their two young children were home at the time.

When police took Courtney into custody -- they say he told them he had killed three people, and police took him at his word.

That statement, and Courtney saying he was going to drink and do drugs with a woman under a bridge prompted police to check near a Rock River bridge.

Britney Cross

There, they discovered the body of 21-year-old Britney Cross.

An autopsy revealed Cross died as a result of blunt force impact head injury. The manner of death was deemed a homicide.

Police believe a rock was used to commit the murder, but would not release a motive.

"We have some theories, that I won't elaborate on," Janesville Police Lt. Keith Lawver said.

On Thursday, June 19th, Janesville police said several witnesses saw Courtney and Cross together in Traxler Park near the dead end of N. Main Street in the late afternoon of May 4th.

Police say several items belonging to Courtney were recovered at the crime scene.

Among them were a baseball cap, a shirt and a pocket-sized Bible that Courtney was known to regularly carry.

Additionally, police say blood was found on Courtney's pants when he was arrested for allegedly stabbing his roommate.

Police say the Wisconsin State Crime Lab was able to confirm the blood found on Courtney's pants matched Cross' DNA.

Courtney has been arrested on a charge of first degree intentional homicide in the case involving the death of Britney Cross.

He will make his initial appearance in court on Friday afternoon.

Police say they have interviewed Courtney several times since his original arrest in the stabbing case -- and say they have not been able to confirm his prior claim that he killed three people.

Police do say they have been able to disprove some of his statements made in relation to this claim.

Police say they are hopeful there are no additional victims, but they say they will continue to investigate any leads they receive.

75-year-old Mary Coulthard's body was pulled from the Rock River on Friday, May 9th. Coulthard went missing earlier in May. Officials were able to determine the cause of death to be drowning.

On Thursday, June 19th, police said evidence from the Coulthard case has been sent to the Wisconsin State Crime Lab for analysis.

Police say they have not been able to link Coulthard's death to Courtney, and police say Courtney has denied any involvement in her death.

Another man reported missing from the area -- 59-year-old Gerald Hockensmith, was found alive in northern Wisconsin on May 12th.