In a quiet Lilburn, Georgia home, a long-simmering domestic dispute tragically boiled over, leaving a family shattered and a wife and mother dead. Rosemarie Lebert-Clarke, a 56-year-old woman, was shot and killed on May 2, 2015, during a heated argument with her husband over their finances. The fatal encounter was witnessed in part by the couple's adult son, who was in the home at the time.
The son reported hearing his parents arguing, a common occurrence in their troubled marriage of over three decades, followed by the sound of gunshots. Rushing to investigate, he discovered a horrific scene: his mother, Rosemarie, lying on the floor, and his father, 59-year-old Rupert Clarke, standing nearby with a handgun. Fearing for his own safety, the son retreated and called 911. He would later return to his mother and attempt CPR, but his efforts were in vain. Rosemarie Lebert-Clarke had sustained multiple gunshot wounds and was pronounced dead.
When police arrived at the Woodfall Drive residence, Rupert Clarke surrendered without incident. Investigators determined that during the argument, Rupert had shot his wife multiple times. Following the shooting, he went upstairs, removed the magazine from the handgun, and hid the weapon. He was arrested and subsequently charged with murder and aggravated assault.
Rupert Clarke's trial took place in May 2016. Prosecutors presented evidence of the couple's long-standing marital problems and Rupert's habit of constantly carrying a gun in a fanny pack. The jury found him guilty of malice murder, felony murder, aggravated assault, and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony. He was sentenced to life in prison plus an additional five years. His subsequent appeal, in which he argued ineffective assistance of counsel and errors by the trial court, was denied, and his conviction was affirmed in May 2020.
