James Clark was executed by the State of Arizona for four murders
According to court documents James Clark was working on a ranch when he committed the four murders. Clark would first murder George Martin, Jr. and 17- year-old Gerald McFerron who were also employed by the ranch. Clark would then go to the owners home where he would murder Charles and Mildred Thumm. Clark would rob the home before fleeing
James Clark would be executed by lethal injection on April 14 1993
James Clark Photos
James Clark Case
In 1977, James Dean Clark worked as a ranch hand at the Cochise Guest Lodge and Ranch in Elfrida, Arizona. Elfrida is a small community in southeastern Arizona about 27 miles Northwest of Douglas.
On December 3, 1977 Clark and two other workers at the ranch went to a bar in Elfrida and then to a disco in Douglas. They returned to the ranch around 1 a.m. Later that evening Clark stabbed one wrangler in his bed seven times as he slept and shot the other man three times.
Clark then grabbed a .357 revolver from one of the victim’s and went into the main house killing the ranch owners, Charles and Mildred Thumm.
Clark stole credit cards, jewelry, weapons and a saddle and drove to El Paso, Texas, where he bragged about the murder to a friend.
Clark was arrested in El Paso, telling authorities there that he had permission to use the car to get his girlfriend and bring her back to Arizona.
Police also found a spent bullet in his jacket pocket in his hotel room. The bullet in his pocket was one that had passed through the head of one of his victims.
At the preliminary hearing on December 15, 1977 a confidential informant from the Drug Enforcement Administration testified, over the objections of Clark’s attorneys. The informant wore a ski mask to hide his identity but removed it briefly so Clark could see him.
At trial the informant told the jury that he met Clark at a bar in El Paso and the next day traded him drugs for weapons, including the .357 revolver. The informant said Clark told him that he had killed people in “Elvira” Arizona.
Clark would always contend that the hooded informant was the real killer.
On June 23, 1978 Clark was convicted of first degree murder of the four people. He was sentenced one month later.
