Acquittal of suspect angers victim’s family

Lynn Doan, Jace Radke and Christina Littlefield

Monday, June 21, 2004 | 9:46 a.m.

Family members of the North Las Vegas woman who was killed in a drive-by shooting last year said they were not surprised that her accused shooter was acquitted Friday.

A jury found Joey "Crazy Joe" Clark, 24, not guilty of killing Gwendolyn Jones, a mother of six, and wounding an 8-year-old girl in a drive-by shooting in 2001 while they were attending the wake of Jones' sister.

Jones' cousin and best friend, Estelita Eason, said she did not attend the hearing but received a call from the district attorney after the verdict was read.

"We weren't surprised at all because everybody else got acquitted before him," the Las Vegas resident said. "Now it's just up to God, and a prison sentence is going to be nothing compared to the punishment God's going to give them."

Two men who were charged with Clark -- Jamon Brooks, 23, and Anthony Hampton, 18 -- pleaded to lesser charges and were placed on probation and ordered to pay restitution in the shooting.

Eason said those who were suspected to be involved in the shooting still live in her neighborhood and pass by her house with "smiles on their faces."

"They walk by and smile at us, and there's really nothing funny about it," Eason said. "She left four kids behind."

Jones' 16-year-old daughter testified against Clark.

"I feel that it's not right because I know deep down in my heart that he did it," the girl said.

She said Clark should have received the death penalty for taking her mother away.

"Ever since he took my mom away, our lives have been hell," she said.

After Jones' death, her four children were split up into foster families. The 16-year-old lives with her grandmother two houses down from Eason and said she is only able to visit her siblings once a month.

"I can talk to them on the phone, but I don't get to see them often," she said.

Clark's family was ecstatic at the verdict, breathing out sighs of relief as District Judge Sally Loehrer read each count and the subsequent "not guilty" that followed it. Several of the family members held hands and appeared to be praying as the verdict was read.

The family got so rowdy at the realization of Clark's acquittal that the court bailiff ended up escorting most of the supporters out of the courtroom.

Clark himself shouted "God bless the jury" as the 12 men and women left the courtroom.

He was not released from custody because of a pending federal case, regarding authorities allegedly finding a gun in the car Clark was riding in, Special Public Defender Alzora Jackson said.

Jackson said she was relieved and grateful for the verdict.

"I feel some faith restored in our system," Jackson said. "You can get a fair trial in Clark County."

Eason, Jones' cousin, said prosecutors could have done a better job and the trial was far from fair.

Eason said police should have had enough evidence to arrest Clark earlier than they did.

"We are unsatisfied. He should have been booked earlier," she said. "Now, they've basically gotten off scot-free and will pay for what they've done when they go to meet their maker."

Meanwhile, Clark's aunt, Patsy Cole, said the family had prayed together that morning for a "not guilty" verdict.

"We're a praying family," Cole said. "I told him (God) if he never done nothin' for this family before, do it for us today, and he did it. All praise be to God because he answers prayer."

Cole, along with other family members, also stressed Clark's innocence.

Joey Clark's father, George Clark, 54, said he felt that the evidence was not there to convict his son.

"The verdict is astonishing, but it was the truth," George Clark said. "God was significant in this and I hope my son follows God."

George Clark said he wants to move his family away from Las Vegas to put what has happened behind them.

He also said he felt that because his son had previously been shot in the forearm he wouldn't have been able to shoot the AK-47 that was the alleged murder weapon.

"That's a two-handed weapon," George Clark said. "He couldn't have moved his arm to shoot it."

A juror on the case, who asked that his name not be printed, said the size of the weapon and Joey Clark's arm injury played a role in the not-guilty verdicts.

"There was no way he could have shot that gun," the juror said. "There was no evidence. The cops needed more resources because we didn't have any evidence."

Prosecutors alleged Clark was trying to shoot Charles "C Thug" Holmes, a member of the Donnas gang whom Clark said he believed shot him a month earlier. Clark said he was lying in bed watching television the night of the shooting, and several family members stood behind that story in court.

Jones' daughter was the only eyewitness who could identify Clark as the killer.