Lucas Shayne Scronce and Jennifer Denise Clay have been arrested and charged with
murder in the death of their 16-month old child, Ivy Clay. Scronce and Clay are Ivy’s biological parents.
On Wednesday, 02/07/2024 deputies with the Catawba County Sheriff’s Office responded to a residence
on Short Rd in Newton in reference to a report of that Ivy was unresponsive. When deputies arrived they
discovered Ivy was deceased.
Sheriff’s investigators initiated an investigation into Clay’s death. On 02/09/2024 Scronce was arrested
and charged for Trafficking in Opium. That charge stemmed from narcotics located during the crime
scene investigation of the residence Scronce shared with Clay and Ivy.
An autopsy report released on 06/18/2024 listed the cause of Ivy’s death as Toxic Effects of Fentanyl and
manner of death as Homicide. Sheriff’s investigators believe that Ivy ingested fentanyl present in the
Short Rd residence.
Scronce and Clay are being held with no bond. Scronce received a $300,000.00 secured bond on the
02/09/24 trafficking charge. Both have a first appearance on the murder charges in Catawba County
District Court on 07/02/2024.
