In the summer of 1971, the town of Millry, Alabama, was shaken by the violent death of its 24-year-old Chief of Police, D. Raleigh Clarke. On Friday, July 30, 1971, the young chief with two years of service to the community was investigating reports of illegal gambling and liquor sales. His investigation led him to a local pool hall where he was ambushed and shot while entering the establishment.
The fatal encounter left Chief Clarke with a single gunshot wound to the head. An investigation into the shooting quickly identified a 20-year-old suspect as the perpetrator. This individual was subsequently arrested and charged with the murder of Chief Clarke. The legal proceedings that followed resulted in the conviction of the 20-year-old killer for second-degree murder, and he was sentenced to 40 years in prison. In a dramatic turn of events, the convicted killer managed to escape from the Washington County Jail in November of 1973. His freedom was short-lived, however, as FBI agents apprehended him in Miami, Florida, in July of 1974.
During the investigation, it came to light that three other individuals were present and participated in the events leading to Chief Clarke's death. However, charges against these three were ultimately dropped in exchange for their testimony against the man who fired the fatal shot. Years after his recapture, in 1980, the man convicted of Chief Clarke's murder received an additional two years on his sentence after being convicted of receiving smuggled drugs while in prison. At the time of his death, Chief Clarke was survived by his expectant wife.
