In the summer of 2020, a gathering of friends in Southwest Memphis took a tragic turn, forever altering the lives of those present. On the evening of July 17th, 38-year-old Rodricas M. Clark, a Black male from Walls, Mississippi, was attending a party in the city. An argument erupted between Clark and another man, identified as 58-year-old Douglas Edwards of Memphis.
The disagreement escalated, and according to witnesses, Edwards left the party for a short time.
He soon returned, but this time he was armed with a handgun. In a sudden act of violence, Edwards allegedly pushed Clark and then shot him multiple times. The gunfire proved fatal, and Rodricas Clark was pronounced dead at the scene.
The investigation that followed led to Douglas Edwards being identified as the primary suspect in the shooting. The case was eventually presented to a grand jury, and on March 17, 2021, an indictment was handed down, charging Edwards with first-degree murder. Following the indictment, a bond for Edwards was set at $100,000 as he awaited trial for the death of Rodricas Clark. The prosecution of the case was assigned to the District Attorney's Vertical Team 2, which handles cases in General Sessions Division 9 and Criminal Court Division 2.
