On a spring day in 1984, a 59-year-old male traveling salesman named Floyd Holmes found his journey tragically cut short. On April 15th, at a rest stop near New Buffalo, Michigan, his path fatefully crossed with that of Richard Norbert Clarey Jr., a man in the midst of a violent crime spree. Clarey, who was on the run after crashing a stolen vehicle, encountered Holmes and another man, Dean Bultema.
In a senseless act of violence, Clarey shot and killed both men.
Following the murders, Clarey fled across the state line into Indiana. His time as a fugitive was brief, as law enforcement soon tracked him to La Porte, where he was discovered hiding in a garage and taken into custody. The arrest in La Porte marked the end of his deadly rampage and the beginning of the legal process to hold him accountable for his actions. Clarey was subsequently extradited back to Michigan to face charges for the murders of Floyd Holmes, Dean Bultema, and another man he had killed earlier, Robert Baranski.
During his trial, Clarey's defense attorneys argued that his actions were the result of severe mental health issues, including schizophrenia and sociopathy, which were compounded by a history of drug abuse and a troubled upbringing. Despite these claims, the evidence against him was overwhelming. A jury found Richard Norbert Clarey Jr. guilty of the murders of Floyd Holmes and Dean Bultema. He was also convicted for the murder of Robert Baranski. For his crimes, Clarey was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, bringing a measure of justice to the families of his victims.
