On the morning of January 2, 2019, tragedy struck at The Estates of Spanish Lake Nursing and Rehabilitation Facility in St. Louis County, Missouri. A nurse making rounds around 7:00 a.m. entered the room of 69-year-old resident Larry Harris and discovered him lying in his bed, unresponsive and not breathing. Observing clear signs of trauma, the staff immediately contacted the authorities.
Police officers arrived at the facility to find Harris deceased, having suffered injuries that indicated a violent physical assault had taken place within the room he shared with another resident.
Investigators quickly focused their attention on Harris's roommate, 73-year-old Willie Clemons. During the subsequent inquiry, Clemons admitted to law enforcement and nursing staff that he had attacked Harris. He detailed the assault, confessing that he had climbed on top of Harris while the man was in his bed and punched him multiple times. The specific motive for the sudden violence between the two elderly roommates was not immediately clarified by the initial reports, but the confession provided sufficient grounds for immediate legal action.
Following the investigation by the St. Louis County Police Department's Bureau of Crimes Against Persons, Willie Clemons was arrested and taken into custody. The St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney's Office formally charged him with one count of second-degree murder in connection with Harris's death. A judge subsequently set his bond at $250,000, cash-only, as he awaited further court proceedings regarding the fatal beating of his roommate.
