In the summer of 2019, the life of a 50-year-old Caucasian male named Robert "Paul" Warner was tragically cut short in Eatonville, Washington. The events leading to his death on July 28th began over a dispute concerning a trailer. Warner, his girlfriend, and her son had made temporary arrangements to park their trailer on a property where 25-year-old Hobert Wayne Clark acted as a landlord for his parents.
Clark, who had been released from prison just over a month prior, became angered by their presence and demanded they leave.
Even after Warner and his family moved their trailer to a neighboring property not owned by Clark's parents, Clark's agitation persisted. On that fateful Sunday afternoon, he returned to confront the family again. Witnesses reported that Clark, armed with a shotgun he retrieved from his motorcycle, was intent on teaching them a lesson. The situation escalated dramatically when Clark pointed the shotgun at Warner's girlfriend's son. Seeing the imminent danger, Warner intervened, tackling Clark in a heroic effort to protect the young man. It was in this moment that Clark discharged the shotgun at close range, striking Warner in the chest and killing him at the scene.
Following the fatal shooting, Clark fled the scene on his motorcycle. His girlfriend at the time, 33-year-old Christina Kitchens, was also present and assisted in his escape. She was seen taking the shotgun from Clark, placing it in her car, and driving away from the property. In the days that followed, a nationwide manhunt for Clark was initiated, with law enforcement considering him armed and dangerous due to his extensive and violent criminal history. He was apprehended by Pierce County deputies and detectives a few days later. Kitchens was also located and arrested shortly thereafter.
Hobert Wayne Clark ultimately pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, first-degree assault, and first-degree unlawful possession of a firearm. He was sentenced to 26 years in prison. Christina Kitchens pleaded guilty to first-degree rendering criminal assistance for her role in hiding the murder weapon and was also sentenced for her involvement. Warner's family remembered him as a loving and kind man, a hero who sacrificed his own life to save another. His sister expressed that the night of his death was the worst of their family's lives and that he did not deserve his violent end.
