The murder suspect in the Super 8 drug deal gone bad several years ago finally faced his judgment day in the Cleveland County Superior Court-Room Number 1 today (May 15, 2017) at 5:15 pm. Murder Suspect and alleged gang member Timothy Clark who had also allegedly threatened certain “disruptions” found himself surrounded by Sheriff’s Deputies and Courtroom Bailiffs for his weeklong plus trial in a high security setting.
Assistant District Attorney Sally Kirby-Turner was the prosecutor for the State and Attorney Daniel Talbert Represented Timothy Clark. Family members of the murder victim were in attendance for the long trial and brought their own cushions to add some comfort to those hard courtroom benches.
Defendant Timothy Clark is a white male in his thirties who got himself hooked up on crystal meth. Attorney Talbert had Clark all cleaned up, shaved, with a close haircut and dressed up in a suit. The jury was all white with six women and six men. The Judge was Robert C. Ervin from Morganton.
The trial part ended today around 3:30 pm and the jury started their deliberations. The jury was brought back in around 3:55 pm to get further instructions from the judge regarding the legal differences between 1st Degree Murder with malice, 1st Degree Murder under the felony murder rule, 2nd Degree Murder and Not Guilty as well as to review part of the evidence that was presented during the trial. It was obvious that this jury was paying attention and fully intended to make sure justice was done in this case, whatever the verdict was that resulted in justice being done.
But ADA Kirby-Turner had presented overwhelming evidence and the jury came back with a verdict at 5:05 pm. The verdict was guilty of 1st Degree Murder under the felony murder rule and guilty of attempted robbery with a dangerous weapon. The women who had been sitting on their cushions for so long jumped up and let out a brief yelp of relief that justice had finally come to Cleveland County. Convicted murderer Timothy Clark, closely guarded by deputies within arms reach and ready for action, showed no reaction. Clark was a whipped puppy who had taken a life and was close to having his own life taken from him. Clark showed no evidence of defiance or intention to run. No gang members were present to support one of their own. If they had been there and showed any bad intention, it was obvious they would be in jail within minutes, seconds maybe.
Then, the sentencing part began. Two women who were family members of the murder victim had the opportunity to speak to the judge. The first woman was crying, sobbing and hard to hear what she was saying. The second woman was the opposite. She spoke clearly. She looked the Judge in the eye and she looked the murderer in the eye. She told the murderer she hoped he had to live with what he had done for the rest of his life. She called the murderer a monster.
The judge agreed and sentenced convicted murderer Timothy Clark to life in prison without parole.
Nobody cheered, nobody smiled and I had to think that everybody else was thinking what I was thinking. What a waste of two lives, the murderer and the victim. Both themselves victims of drug abuse. And all us taxpayers having to feed Timothy Clark for the rest of his life. Justice was done, but the price was high.
