In the late hours of March 1, 2022, a fatal encounter unfolded at a Walmart Supercenter on Fort Campbell Boulevard in Clarksville, Tennessee, claiming the life of 55-year-old William 'Billy' T. Eakes Jr. Eakes, a male maintenance employee at the store, was found unresponsive with multiple gunshot wounds near the entrance of the establishment shortly before midnight.
He was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead from his injuries.
The incident began when a man, later identified as Christopher Clark, entered the Walmart after it had closed for the night. He proceeded to take a drink and a bag of chips without paying. Eakes followed Clark outside to confront him about the theft. In the ensuing moments, Clark produced a firearm and shot Eakes multiple times before fleeing the scene. The entire event, from Clark entering the store to the shooting, lasted less than five minutes and was captured on the store's security cameras.
Law enforcement responded quickly to the scene. A K-9 unit tracked Clark to a wooded area behind a nearby Planet Fitness, where he was apprehended. During the search, officers recovered a. 380 caliber handgun that matched the shell casings found at the scene of the shooting. Clark was subsequently arrested and charged with first-degree murder.
The case proceeded to trial, where a jury found Christopher Clark guilty of first-degree murder after deliberating for just over an hour and a half. In May 2024, Clark was sentenced to life in prison for the murder of William Eakes Jr. He also received a consecutive 25-year sentence for being a convicted felon in possession of a weapon. The death of Eakes had a profound impact on his family, with his daughter stating that the stress and heartbreak from his murder contributed to the rapid decline in her mother's health, who passed away just a month after her husband. In memory of their fallen employee, the Walmart where Eakes worked erected a memorial in his honor.
