Joseph Lewis Clark (January 15, 1949 – May 2, 2006) was an American murderer executed by the State of

Ohio Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...

. He was the 21st person executed by Ohio since the state resumed executions in 1999. Clark was sentenced to death on November 28, 1984, for the murder of 22-year-old David Manning during a gas station hold-up in

Toledo Toledo most commonly refers to: * Toledo, Spain, a city in Spain * Province of Toledo, Spain * Toledo, Ohio, a city in the United States Toledo may also refer to: Places Belize * Toledo District * Toledo Settlement Bolivia * Toledo, Orur ...

, though he also confessed to the separate murder of a convenience store employee.

Details of Clark's crime

When Clark entered a Toledo gas station at approximately 9:00 p.m. on January 13, 1984, he had his .32 caliber revolver drawn. He demanded money, and the attendant, David A. Manning, handed him the money out of the cash register. After receiving the money, Clark claimed that this was not all the money Manning had. Manning then proceeded to give him an envelope, and it was at this point that Clark shot him. Clark stole sixty dollars in the hold-up. On January 16, 1984, Clark was arrested after allegedly committing an assault and robbery at an Ohio bank. The arresting officer found a .32 caliber revolver in Clark's coat pocket. The next day, Clark, aware that he was a suspect in the Manning murder, tried to hang himself in his jail cell. On January 23, 1984, he was released from the hospital and taken to the Toledo Police Detective Bureau, where he was read his

Miranda rights In the United States, the ''Miranda'' warning is a type of notification customarily given by police to criminal suspects in police custody (or in a custodial interrogation) advising them of their right to silence and, in effect, protection fr ...

and subsequently confessed to the murder of Manning after his Miranda rights were again recited to him. Following Clark's indictment for Manning's murder, Clark challenged the voluntariness of his statement to the police, and an evidentiary hearing was held on the issue. At the suppression hearing, a

psychiatrist A psychiatrist is a physician who specializes in psychiatry, the branch of medicine devoted to the diagnosis, prevention, study, and treatment of mental disorders. Psychiatrists are physicians and evaluate patients to determine whether their sy ...

testified on behalf of Clark. Although the psychiatrist had not examined Clark, he had reviewed the medical records from the hospitalization following Clark's suicide attempt, as well as Clark's juvenile records, various police documents, and the court's diagnostic and treatment reports. Based on a review of these records, he noted that Clark's mental function would be considered "borderline defective" based on his reported

I.Q. An intelligence quotient (IQ) is a total score derived from a set of standardized tests or subtests designed to assess human intelligence. The abbreviation "IQ" was coined by the psychologist William Stern for the German term ''Intelligenzqu ...

of 75. He also concluded that Clark suffered from acute brain damage and chronic impairment of his mental functioning at the time of his confession (apparently due to Clark's recent suicide attempt). The psychiatrist testified that Clark's impaired mental condition would have interfered with his ability to make choices in an informed and reasonable manner and would have rendered him more susceptible to pressure or duress from others. The prosecution offered in response the testimony of the officers who interrogated Clark and the testimony of Clark's attending physician, who concluded that, from a medical-neurological standpoint, Clark was capable of deciding on waiving his rights. Following the suppression hearing, the state trial court determined that Clark voluntarily and knowingly waived his right against self-incrimination. Clark's confession was subsequently introduced at trial.

Execution

The execution took nearly 90 minutes because prison officials had difficulty finding a vein.

Sources

General references

Clark Prosecutor
* Clark v. Mitchell, 425 F.3d 270 * State v. Clark, 1998 Ohio App. LEXIS 3688 * State v. Clark, 1986 Ohio App. LEXIS 9408 * ''Execution of Joseph Lewis Clark fails to go smoothly,'' Copley News Service, May 2, 2006 * Erica Ryan

''The Columbus Dispatch'' (2006-05-04). Retrieved on 2007-11-05. * Jim Provance and Christina Hall
Clark execution raises lethal-injection issues
''The Blade – Toledo, Ohio'' (2006-05-04). Retrieved on 2007-11-05. ! colspan="3" , Executions carried out in Ohio , - ! colspan="3" , Executions carried out in the United States {{DEFAULTSORT:Clark, Joseph Lewis 1949 births 2006 deaths 21st-century executions by Ohio American people executed for murder Executed African-American people People convicted of murder by Ohio 21st-century executions of American people People executed by Ohio by lethal injection People from Toledo, Ohio Executed people from Ohio 21st-century African-American people

Details of Clark's crime

Execution

See also

Sources

General references