On a summer evening in Kansas City, Missouri, the life of 41-year-old Anthony 'Mike' Clark was cut short in a fatal shooting. The incident occurred on July 21, 2017, inside a vehicle at a car wash located at 5700 Independence Ave. Clark, a resident of Spring Hill, Kansas, where he worked for a lumber company, was found deceased at the scene. He was a man who had moved to Paola, Kansas, during his high school years and later attended DeVry University in Overland Park.
Investigations into
the shooting revealed a grim story of a drug deal that had turned into a robbery and homicide. According to court records and witness statements, Clark had accompanied a man and a woman to Kansas City to purchase drugs. The man, later identified as 30-year-old Eric H. Womack, had allegedly planned to rob Clark. Witnesses reported that Womack shot Clark after the victim 'grabbed on' to the woman who was with them. One witness, who was in the vehicle during the shooting, told detectives she saw Womack kill Clark. Afterward, she and Womack fled the scene on foot, and she witnessed him disassembling and discarding the gun as they ran.
Thanks to information provided by police in Spring Hill and Osawatomie, Kansas, detectives in Kansas City were able to identify Womack as the suspect. Witnesses had come forward stating they heard Womack talking about the killing, admitting his intent to rob the victim and shooting him. He was also reportedly concerned about leaving spent shell casings at the scene. On August 12, 2017, Kansas City police arrested Womack. He was subsequently charged with second-degree murder and armed criminal action. Prosecutors requested a bond of $250,000. Following his arrest, Womack declined to speak with detectives.
