The Commission on Capital Cases updates thisinformation regularly.  This information, however, is subject to changeand may not reflect the latest status of an inmate’s case and should not berelied on for statistical or legal purposes.

CLARK, Ronald (W/M)

DC #   812974

DOB:  04/20/68 

Fourth Judicial Circuit, Duval County, Case #90-10067

Sentencing Judge: The Honorable David C. Wiggins

Trial Attorney: Henry Davis, Esq.

Attorney, Direct Appeal: W.C. McLain – Assistant PublicDefender

Attorney, Collateral Appeals: Harry P. Brody – Registry

Date of Offense:          01/12/90

Date of Sentence:        02/22/91         

Circumstances of Offense:

Ronald Clark was convicted and sentenced to death for themurder of Ronald Willis on 01/12/90.

According to testimony given at trial by John Hatch, theco-defendant, he and Ronald Clark were hitchhiking to Jacksonville on01/12/90.  Clark was carrying a pistol that he had been restoring, and thetwo men were shooting at various targets along the roadside while waiting for aride.  Ronald Willis saw the two men hitchhiking and pulled over, offeringthem a lift.  Once in the truck, Clark whispered to Hatch that he wasgoing to steal the truck.  Clark ordered Willis to pull over, and whenWillis got out of the truck, Clark shot him seven or eight times.  Clarkpushed Willis’ body into the middle seat and then Clark drove to a more remotelocation.  Clark took Willis’ money and boots, and then dumped his body ina ditch.  Clark and Hatch proceeded with their night, going to arestaurant and visiting an ex-girlfriend.  Later that night, the two menreturned to retrieve Willis’ body.  They took the body to the NassauCounty Sound Bridge, weighted it, and then dumped it in the water.

Clark and Hatch continued to use Willis’ stolen truck, andonly when Willis’ ex-wife became worried about his sudden disappearance did shedrive around looking for him.  Willis’ ex-wife located his truck at amotel, and Clark and Hatch were identified as the men driving it.  Willis’ex-wife notified police, but Clark and Hatch ran away before they arrived.

Clark and Hatch fled to South Carolina.  Hatch returnedto Nassau County where he was arrested and Clark was apprehended in SouthCarolina on 02/07/90.

Codefendant Information:

John Hatch agreed to testify against Ronald Clark inexchange for a 25-year sentence.  Hatch was sentenced on 02/01/91, and wasreleased on 04/01/01, after serving only 10 years.

Prior Incarceration History in the State of Florida:

On 10/29/89, Ronald Clark, John Hatch, Brian Corbett, andCharles McElroy Carter were driving all around Jacksonville and the neighboringareas.  The men had been drinking together throughout the night. When Clark pulled over off the side of the road to allow the men to go to thebathroom, he retrieved a single shot shotgun from this truck and shot Carter inthe chest.  The blow was received at such an angle that it only damagedthe chest muscles and the collarbone.  Clark reloaded the gun and fired ashot in Carter’s mouth, killing him.  Clark rolled the body into a ditch,taking his money and his boots.  Police arrested Clark for the homicideafter being implicated by Corbett during an interrogation.  On 11/20/90,Clark was sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder.

Trial Summary:

02/07/90         Defendant arrested in South Carolina.

03/22/90         Defendant indicted on:

                                   Count I:           First-Degree Murder

                                   Count II:           Armed Robbery

08/23/90         Amended indictment filed.

08/27/90         Defendant entered a plea of “not guilty”.

01/24/91         The jury found the defendant guilty on both counts.

01/25/91         Upon advisory sentencing, the jury, by an 11 to 1 majority, voted for the deathpenalty.

02/22/91         Defendant was sentenced as followed:

                                   Count I:           First-Degree Murder - Death

                                   Count II:           Armed Robbery- Life

Appeal Summary:

Florida Supreme Court - Direct Appeal

FSC #77,553

613 So. 2d 412

03/06/91         Appeal filed.

12/24/92         FSC affirmed the convictions and sentence.

03/04/93         Rehearing denied.

04/05/93         Mandate issued.

United States Supreme Court - Petition for Writ ofCertiorari

USSC #92-8817

510 U.S. 836

05/26/93         Petition filed.

10/04/93         Petition denied.

State Circuit Court - 3.850 Motion

CC #90-10067

11/16/94         Motion filed.

11/01/95         Motion amended.

02/04/04         Motion amended.

01/31/06         Motion amended.

09/17/07         Motion denied.

Florida Supreme Court – 3.850 Motion Appeal

FSC #07-2318

12/11/07          Appealfiled. 

04/29/10          FSCaffirmed denial of the 3.850 motion

05/20/10          Mandateissued 

United States District Court, Middle District -Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus

USDC #10-00547

(Pending)

06/28/10          Petitionfiled.

Factors Contributing to the Delay in the Imposition ofthe Sentence:

Clark’s 3.850 Motion has been pending since 1994. An amendedmotion was filed on his behalf in early 1995, 2003 and 2005.  This motionhas been pending for 13 years thus far.

Case Information:

Clark filed a Direct Appeal in the Florida Supreme Court on03/06/91.  In his appeal, Clark did not raise any arguments regarding theguilt phase of the trial.  Concerning the penalty phase, however, Clarkcontended that the trial court erred in allowing him to waive the presentationof mitigating factors, in considering two similar aggravating factorsseparately, and in allowing hearsay testimony about a prior murderconviction.  The Florida Supreme Court affirmed the convictions andsentence on 12/24/92.

On 05/26/93, Clark filed a Petition for Writ of Certiorariin the United States Supreme Court, which was denied on 10/04/93.

On 11/16/94, Clark filed a 3.850 Motion in the State CircuitCourt. Amended motions were filed on 11/01/95, 02/04/04, and 01/31/06. The motion was denied on 09/17/07.

On 12/11/07, Clark filed a 3.850 Motion Appeal in theFlorida Supreme Court. The Florida Supreme Court affirmed the denial of the3.850 motion on 04/29/10.

Institutional Adjustment:

DATE            DAYS             VIOLATION                                     LOCATION       

02/27/97         30                  FIGHTING                                        UNION C. I.         

04/26/00         0                    POSS OF CONTRABAND               FSP

12/05/00         30                  POSS OFCONTRABAND               FSP

07/23/01         30                  POSS OFCONTRABAND               FSP

09/27/01         30                  MAILVIOLATIONS                         FSP

11/08/02         30                  POSS OFCONTRABAND               FSP

11/13/02         30                  POSS OFCONTRABAND               FSP

01/16/03         180                REF. SUB. ABUSETEST                  FSP

12/02/05         30                  MAILVIOLATIONS                         UNION C.I.

________________________________________________________________________

01/15/02 – ew

01/16/02 – approved – ws

10/20/10 – updated – jjk