Clark’s father backs alibi in fatal shooting

By Matt Pordum

Thursday, June 17, 2004 | 9:19 a.m.

A Hillside gang member on trial for murder told a jury Wednesday that he was at home watching a basketball game when a North Las Vegas mother of six was killed in a drive-by shooting.

Authorities allege Joey "Crazy Joe" Clark, 23, was the gunman in the attack that left 35-year-old Gwendolyn Jones dead and an 8-year-old girl wounded.

Clark is charged with murder, conspiracy to commit murder and several counts of attempted murder and battery.

But Clark testified he was not in the car that drove by and fired bullets at a crowd of mourners that included Jones and the girl. Clark said he was at home in bed with his arm in a cast because of a gunshot wound, watching the Los Angeles Lakers play the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA playoffs.

Joey Clark testified his father, George Clark, brother Antoine Clark, Shana Haley and two others were at the house with him.

Joey Clark said he found out about the shooting after receiving a phone call from a cousin, and then by watching a newsbreak that interrupted the basketball game telecast. He said he was concerned about the shooting because his grandfather lived one street over from where it happened.

Roughly five days after the shooting, Joey Clark said, he decided to voluntarily go to the North Las Vegas Police Detective Bureau to "clear his name" after he heard someone say he was involved in the shooting.

During cross-examination, Deputy District Attorney Sandra DiGiacomo asked Clark why he failed to tell the police that he was at home on the day of the shooting during his statement, instead of telling them he just "wasn't there."

Clark said he did tell detectives he was at home during the shooting, but he did so before the detectives began recording the interview.

Clark admitted to the jury that he was a member of the Hillside gang at one time, but after being beaten up at a Martin Luther King Day parade in 2001 and being shot later that same year he had a "change of heart."

"I've seen in my short 24 years a lot of people killed and plenty of friends die," Clark said. "As a younger guy it's all about fighting, but as you get older the reality sets in and, if you are a human and have a heart, you have to change."

Joey Clark's father, George Clark, corroborated his son's story, saying his son had given up the gang life and was in his bed watching a basketball game the day of the slaying.

George Clark, a bus driver for the Clark County School District and part-time security worker at The Mirage, testified even if his son hadn't been home, he was in too much pain from the gunshots he had suffered to have been physically able to take part in the drive-by.

George Clark said he had told his son not to go down to give detectives a statement because he needed to stay home to recuperate.

"I said it made no sense to go over there because there was no way in his condition he could have done it," George Clark said.

The father explained his son was in so much pain after being shot that he had to wash him and feed him.

On the day of the drive-by, George Clark said his son was able to "move around a bit, but still couldn't drive."

Authorities do not allege that Joey Clark was driving the car for the drive-by.

George Clark also testified that when he and his son arrived at the detectives' offices, a family member of Gwendolyn Jones' family approached Joey Clark.

"Joey told me they (eight people at the detective bureau) were her (Jones') family," George Clark said. "One of them hugged Joey and said 'Don't worry. We know you weren't there."'

The man police and prosecutors have argued was the target of the shooting testified he never saw Clark at the scene.

Charles "C Thug" Holmes, a member of the Donnas gang whom Clark said he believed shot him a month earlier, testified he never saw Clark in the car or at the scene of the shooting.

Prosecutors and police have alleged the drive-by shooting was orchestrated to get revenge on Holmes for shooting Clark. While Holmes was shot during the drive-by, he has since recovered and is now serving prison time for robbery with use of a deadly weapon.

Two of Clark's one-time co-defendants, Jamon Brooks, 23, and Anthony Hampton, 18, both testified Clark was at home at the time of the drive-by. Brooks and Hampton both entered plea agreements and were placed on probation and ordered to pay restitution.

In exchange for the their pleas Kane dropped nine other charges against the men, charges ranging from murder to attempted murder and discharging of a firearm out of a vehicle to promote, further or assist a gang.

When asked why he didn't follow Brooks and Hampton and accept the same plea bargain they were offered, Clark said it was because he's innocent.

The trial is scheduled to continue today.