Washington County Sheriff's Office, Ohio
End of Watch Saturday, February 7, 1981
Add to My HeroesRay R. "Joe" Clark
Lieutenant Joe Clark was shot and killed from ambush while standing in the kitchen of his home in the 400 block of Dodd's Run Road in Marietta. He was struck by a shotgun blast that was fired through his kitchen window.
The case remained unsolved until September 16th, 2014, when a former Washington County sheriff's deputy was arrested and charged with Lieutenant Clark's murder. The subject had been fired by Lieutenant Clark in December 1979 for using excessive force while on duty.
On October 20th, 2015, a jury was unable to render a verdict and was declared deadlocked. The subject was retried and found guilty of murder on March 11th, 2016. He was subsequently sentenced to life in prison with the eligibility for parole after 15 years. He died in prison on March 18th, 2017. On August 9th, 2017, the offender's conviction was upheld posthumously during the appeal process.
Lieutenant Clark had served with the Washington County Sheriff's Office for 14 years. He was survived by his wife, son, stepdaughter, sister, brother, and parents.
Bio
- Age 49
- Tour 14 years
- Badge 270
Incident Details
- Cause Gunfire
- Weapon Shotgun
- Offender Life with eligibility of parole
Most Recent Reflection
View all 31 ReflectionsNEVER FORGET! Please help me honor the dedicated service and ultimate sacrifice of Lieutenant Ray R. "Joe" Clark of the Washington County Sheriff's Office, Ohio and the additional 89 American Peace Officers who have paid the ultimate sacrifice on this date in history.
Superintendent Joe Morbitzer (Retired)
Ohio Attorney General, Bureau of Criminal Investigation
February 7, 2024
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