In the summer of 2018, the life of 29-year-old Megan Moody Clark, a White/Caucasian female, was tragically cut short in a motel room in Elsberry, Missouri. On July 1st, deputies from the Lincoln County Sheriff's Department were called to the Elsberry Motel and Lodge for what was reported as a suspicious death. Inside one of the rooms, they discovered Megan's body; she had been shot multiple times.
The circumstances of her death immediately pointed towards a homicide, prompting the activation of the Major Case Squad to lead the investigation.
The investigation quickly zeroed in on a primary suspect: Megan's husband, Rico Terrell Clark, Jr. Surveillance footage from the motel was crucial, showing the couple and their infant daughter entering the room together. Later, the video captured only Rico and the child leaving. The audio from the surveillance also recorded the sound of gunshots, providing a chilling timeline of events. Authorities tracked Rico Clark's phone to the Redwood Motel in Godfrey, Illinois, where he had registered under his own name. His vehicle, a Dodge Magnum, was found in the parking lot, and he was subsequently arrested.
Initially, Rico Clark denied any involvement in his wife's murder and was uncooperative with investigators. He refused to consent to a polygraph test, provide a DNA sample, or be tested for gunshot residue. Despite his lack of cooperation, the evidence against him mounted. While incarcerated, he confessed to a fellow inmate, admitting that he had killed his wife and disposed of the murder weapon in the woods.
Faced with the evidence and his own confession, Rico Clark was charged with first-degree murder and armed criminal action. In January 2020, he pleaded guilty to the charges. As a result of his plea, he was sentenced to the maximum penalty allowed by the state: life in prison plus an additional five years. Megan's obituary sadly noted she was a victim of domestic violence and was remembered as a kind and compassionate person who worked as a certified nursing assistant.
