In the quiet community of Lake Tansi in Crossville, Tennessee, a tragic event unfolded on the evening of January 19, 2019, shattering the peace and leaving a family devastated. Seventy-four-year-old Linda Damewood, a female resident of a home on Cherokee Trail, was fatally shot while resting in her recliner. The violent intrusion also left two of her siblings, 63-year-old Andrew Schan and 73-year-old Ellen Cairns, wounded by gunfire.
Emergency services rushed the three victims to the Cumberland Medical Center, but Linda Damewood succumbed to her injuries at the hospital. One of the other victims was later transferred to a regional trauma center for further treatment.
The investigation, a joint effort by the Cumberland County Sheriff's Office and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, quickly pointed to an acquaintance of the deceased, Kirk Douglas Clark, a 35-year-old man from Clarkrange. He was apprehended during a traffic stop on January 22nd. At the time of his arrest, his wife, 35-year-old Doneal Marie Clark, was also in the vehicle and was initially taken into custody on weapons charges. Investigators found an illegal shotgun in their possession, and it was noted that both were convicted felons prohibited from owning firearms.
As the investigation progressed, authorities uncovered information suggesting Doneal Clark's direct involvement in the murder. Subsequently, she was also charged with first-degree murder. Kirk Clark faced a litany of charges, including first-degree murder, possession of a prohibited weapon, and unlawful possession of a weapon. Both were booked into the Cumberland County Jail, with Kirk Clark's bond set at $2,020,000 and Doneal Clark's at $2 million. The motive for this violent home invasion was believed to be burglary. While both Kirk and Doneal Clark were charged with the murder of Linda Damewood, authorities indicated that additional charges related to the shootings of Andrew Schan and Ellen Cairns would be brought before a grand jury.
