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Thread: VonTrey Clark, Kevin Watson and Freddie Lee Smith Sentenced in 2015 TX Murder of Samantha Dean

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    VonTrey Clark, Kevin Watson and Freddie Lee Smith Sentenced in 2015 TX Murder of Samantha Dean


    Samantha Dean, 29, was 7 months pregnant when murdered.


    Kevin Watson (left) and Kyla Fisk are linked to Samantha Dean’s death according to court documents.




    VonTrey Jamal Clark



    VonTrey Clark charged with capital murder

    By KXAN Staff

    BALI, Indonesia (KXAN/AP) — A former Austin police officer has been extradited from Indonesia to the United States to face trial in the murder of his pregnant girlfriend.

    Previous:

    http://www.statesman.com/news/news/l...an-murd/nmTyy/

    http://kxan.com/2015/07/13/search-wa...tha-dean-case/

    VonTrey Jamal Clark was deported Wednesday through Ngurah Rai airport in Denpasar, the provincial capital of Bali resort island in Indonesia. Clark, 32, was handed over to 13 agents of the FBI and was flown to Texas on a specially chartered plane from the bureau.

    The KXAN News team has identified the government owned jet that we believe is carrying Clark to Honolulu, Hawaii before landing in Texas. An update on the flight’s itinerary is putting Clark at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport just before midnight Wednesday.

    “It’s been a very frustrating period of time for us. We are excited that he’s on his way back. I’m looking forward to the day the Dean family gets justice, and I’m hoping that justice comes quickly,” says APD Chief Art Acevedo regarding Clark’s return.

    Late Wednesday afternoon, United States Magistrate Judge Mark Lane unsealed an unlawful flight to avoid prosecution (UFAP) arrest warrant, criminal complaint and probable cause affidavit for Clark. According to the federal documents, on July 21 a state district court in Bastrop Country issued an arrest warrant—which hasn’t been unsealed—for Clark based on a charge of capital murder. On July 22, the Bastrop County District Attorney requested the FBI’s assistance in apprehending Clark and returning him to Bastrop County.


    Federal authorities asked records to be sealed because Clark “fled this jurisdiction in order to avoid prosecution.” The document goes on to say Clark “has already taken advantage of information that became available due to the unsealing of two state-court search warrant applications.”

    Bali police spokesman Hery Wiyanto said Clark arrived in Indonesia on July 19 on an American Airlines flight through Jakarta. He was then arrested in Canggu neighborhood in Bali on July 30 based on a red notice from Interpol.

    Clark is a suspect in the Feb. 4 murder of Samantha Dean in Texas. A search warrant revealed police believe Clark tired to hire a hit man.

    On Wednesday morning, Bastrop County Sheriff’s Office said they couldn’t talk about Clark’s return but they do have a news conference scheduled on Thursday afternoon. The FBI confirms they will be in attendance at the briefing as well.

    Search warrants obtained by KXAN detail conversations between Clark, Watson, Fisk and Williams.

    On June 4, a Texas Ranger interviewed Aaron Williams regarding Dean’s homicide. Williams told detectives Kevin Watson, 31, told him Clark was looking “to pay someone $5,000 to kill Dean and her baby due to Dean wanting Clark to pay child support for the baby,” according to the warrant dated Aug. 12. Williams went onto say Watson told him he and Freddie Smith killed Dean for Clark and that Clark had driven Dean to the location in Bastrop County and the “murder had been set up to look like a drug deal,” continued in the warrant.

    The warrant indicates between April 14-May 4, Clark, Watson, Fisk and Williams and other parties had conversations in which they discussed not talking to the police and distancing themselves from each other. Police were able to link Williams, Watson, Watson’s girlfriend Kyla Fisk and Smith to the case from cellphone communication and surveillance video at various places where they purchased cellphones.

    Clark fired from Austin Police Department


    Austin Chief of Police Art Acevedo announced Clark was indefinitely suspended from the force after he says Clark failed to show up for an in-person meeting.

    According to the memo
    , Clark flew to Indonesia—a country with which the U.S. does not have an extradition treaty—on July 17, without approval from his supervisors. The Department is now considering Clark absent without leave (AWOL) since they can’t get in contact with him.

    “I am only imposing disciplinary action for administrative policy violations that do not involved possible criminal conduct by Officer Clark in order to maintain the integrity of and not jeopardize the criminal investigation,” continued Acevedo in the disciplinary memo.

    Ongoing relationship


    Court documents revealed Clark and Dean were in an ongoing romantic relationship. Clark told homicide investigators he had “a sexual relationship” with Dean that was “off-and-on over the last six or seven years, and that he believes he is the father of Dean’s unborn child, Baby Dean.”

    The documents detail that Clark wanted Dean to have an abortion.

    Meanwhile, after an aggressive encounter with Clark, Dean told co-workers at the Kyle Police department that Clark would be the prime suspect if she ever turned up dead.

    http://kxan.com/2015/09/02/vontrey-c...lown-to-texas/
    "I realize this may sound harsh, but as a father and former lawman, I really don't care if it's by lethal injection, by the electric chair, firing squad, hanging, the guillotine or being fed to the lions."
    - Oklahoma Rep. Mike Christian

    "There are some people who just do not deserve to live,"
    - Rev. Richard Hawke

    “There are lots of extremely smug and self-satisfied people in what would be deemed lower down in society, who also deserve to be pulled up. In a proper free society, you should be allowed to make jokes about absolutely anything.”
    - Rowan Atkinson

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    Edited:

    2 Now Charged in Samantha Dean Murder Case


    By Chris Cybuiski
    twcnews

    Two people now face murder charges in the conspiracy to kill a pregnant victim services coordinator.

    Authorities believe Austin police officer VonTrey Clark hired Kevin Watson to kill Samantha Dean. Both are charged with capital murder.

    Dean was found shot to death in a Bastrop parking lot in February. She was seven months pregnant with Clark’s child at the time.

    While Clark was out of the country, Watson was jailed on unrelated charges in Houston.

    At least two others have been linked to the murder plot.

    http://www.twcnews.com/tx/austin/new...rder-case.html
    "I realize this may sound harsh, but as a father and former lawman, I really don't care if it's by lethal injection, by the electric chair, firing squad, hanging, the guillotine or being fed to the lions."
    - Oklahoma Rep. Mike Christian

    "There are some people who just do not deserve to live,"
    - Rev. Richard Hawke

    “There are lots of extremely smug and self-satisfied people in what would be deemed lower down in society, who also deserve to be pulled up. In a proper free society, you should be allowed to make jokes about absolutely anything.”
    - Rowan Atkinson

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    DA considers whether to seek death penalty in Dean case

    By Kevin Schwaller
    KXAN News

    BASTROP, Texas (KXAN) — As the Bastrop County district attorney prepares to seek indictments for two suspects in the murder of Samantha Dean, he also has another consideration: whether he will pursue the death penalty.

    Court records indicate that former Austin Police Officer VonTrey Clark believes he was the father of Dean’s unborn child. Dean was found dead in Bastrop County in February. After being in Indonesia for more than a month, federal agents extradited Clark back to Texas Wednesday. He arrived in Austin after midnight. Representatives from the Texas Highway Patrol, Texas Rangers, FBI, and Bastrop County agencies gathered Thursday to announce Clark and his friend Kevin Watson were both in custody for capital murder. However, grand juries have not indicted either of the men and Clark’s attorney denies the claims from authorities about his client’s involvement in Dean’s killing.

    “Capital murder is an offense in the state of Texas that can carry the death penalty. The decision to seek the death penalty rests solely with me, my office,” said Bastrop County District Attorney Bryan Goertz. “While this is still ongoing, that’s a very complicated not only factual, but legal question. [A decision] will have to be made in the coming months. It will be made before trial. But I am not going to commit to when or what that decision is.”

    The decision about whether to pursue the death penalty has implications for not only a suspect and his or her family, but for the length and cost of the legal process, and how long the victim’s family must wait before reaching a resolution in the case.

    “[A death penalty case] is just a completely different ball game,” said Keith Hampton, an Austin criminal defense attorney who has been involved in capital murder cases. “If you seek death, there won’t be a resolution for at least seven years. Because if you get death, he gets an automatic review.”

    Hampton and Austin attorney Mindy Montford say preparing for a death penalty case is like preparing for two trials.

    “You’re going to have to prove that he is a future danger to the public and to people. You’re also going to have to say that there are no mitigating circumstances at play,” said Montford. “[A prosecutor has to show] he committed this crime and there’s nothing like abuse or any kind of mental or physical condition that he has or he suffers from.”

    “[In death penalty cases lawyers prepare] a defense and a mitigation study, which is basically deconstructing this person, going from before he was even born leading right up to the day that he did what he did, if he’s guilty.” said Hampton. “Then you have to prepare to present that to a jury. It is grueling, horrific work. None of us like this stuff.”

    There is also a reason for the years it can take to see a death penalty case through to its end.

    “We make two promises to the public: that everybody gets a fair trial, everybody no matter what they get a fair trial,” said Hampton. “And two, we get it right. So that we do not execute another innocent person.”

    In the Dean case, the district attorney has yet to decide whether he will try for the death penalty, if prosecutors secure indictments. The final decision of whether to proceed in seeking the death penalty rests with the DA. However, reaching that decision takes various forms across Texas. Montford and Hampton say some DAs take votes from within their offices about how to move forward. Still, each decision includes weighing a host of factors.

    “The DA has got to weigh the evidence in the case, what the victim’s family wants to happen in this case, what the community probably wants in this case,” said Montford.

    The Bastrop County DA is also working with the Texas Attorney General’s Office for assistance in prosecuting the case.

    http://kxan.com/2015/09/03/da-consid...-in-dean-case/
    "I realize this may sound harsh, but as a father and former lawman, I really don't care if it's by lethal injection, by the electric chair, firing squad, hanging, the guillotine or being fed to the lions."
    - Oklahoma Rep. Mike Christian

    "There are some people who just do not deserve to live,"
    - Rev. Richard Hawke

    “There are lots of extremely smug and self-satisfied people in what would be deemed lower down in society, who also deserve to be pulled up. In a proper free society, you should be allowed to make jokes about absolutely anything.”
    - Rowan Atkinson

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    VonTrey Clark indicted on capital murder charge

    Ex-Austin Police Officer charged in pregnant girlfriend's death

    By Calily Bein
    KXAN News

    BASTROP COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) — Former Austin Police officer VonTrey Clark has been indicted on a capital murder charge in the death of his pregnant girlfriend, Samantha Dean. Bastrop County records show the Grand Jury indicted Clark on Oct. 21.

    According to the indictment paperwork, Clark caused the death of Dean by “shooting Samantha Dean with a firearm, and intentionally or knowingly caused the death of another individual, Madeline Dean.”

    Clark currently sits in the Bastrop County Jail, where he’s been since Sept. 3 when he was deported from Indonesia. Clark, 32, was handed over to 13 agents of the FBI and was flown to Texas on a specially chartered plane from the bureau.

    In a statement, Clark’s attorney Bristol Myers says, “According to the indictment, the grand jury only heard the story of police, prosecutors, and a witness whose name was blacked out from public view. None of those people had a legal obligation to inform the grand jury of the weaknesses in their case or present the grand jury with evidence favorable to VonTrey Clark. In that light, the indictment is insignificant and simply moves this case into the jurisdiction of the trial court.”

    On July 22, the Bastrop County District Attorney requested the FBI’s assistance in apprehending Clark and returning him to Bastrop County.

    Federal court documents

    A search warrant revealed police believe Clark hired a hit man to kill Dean and her unborn child.

    On June 4, a Texas Ranger interviewed Aaron Williams regarding Dean’s homicide. Williams told detectives Kevin Watson, 31, told him Clark was looking “to pay someone $5,000 to kill Dean and her baby due to Dean wanting Clark to pay child support for the baby,” according to the warrant dated Aug. 12. Williams went onto say Watson told him he and Freddie Smith killed Dean for Clark and that Clark had driven Dean to the location in Bastrop County and the “murder had been set up to look like a drug deal,” continued in the warrant.

    The warrant indicates between April 14-May 4, Clark, Watson, Fisk and Williams and other parties had conversations in which they discussed not talking to the police and distancing themselves from each other.Police were able to link Williams, Watson, Watson’s girlfriend Kyla Fisk and Smith to the case from cellphone communication and surveillance video at various places where they purchased cellphones.

    Clark fired from Austin Police Department


    Austin Chief of Police Art Acevedo announced Clark was indefinitely suspended from the force after he says Clark failed to show up for an in-person meeting.

    According to the memo
    , Clark flew to Indonesia—a country with which the U.S. does not have an extradition treaty—on July 17, without approval from his supervisors. The Department is now considering Clark absent without leave (AWOL) since they can’t get in contact with him.

    “I am only imposing disciplinary action for administrative policy violations that do not involved possible criminal conduct by Officer Clark in order to maintain the integrity of and not jeopardize the criminal investigation,” continued Acevedo in the disciplinary memo.

    Ongoing relationship


    Court documents revealed Clark and Dean were in an ongoing romantic relationship. Clark told homicide investigators he had “a sexual relationship” with Dean that was “off-and-on over the last six or seven years, and that he believes he is the father of Dean’s unborn child, Baby Dean.”

    The documents detail that Clark wanted Dean to have an abortion.

    Meanwhile, after an aggressive encounter with Clark, Dean told co-workers at the Kyle Police department that Clark would be the prime suspect if she ever turned up dead.

    KXAN checked and the other man charged with capital murder in the Dean killing is Vontrey Clark’s boyhood friend from their high school days. Kevin Leo Watson is being held in the Harris County jail on that and other unrelated drug charges. It’s not clear when Watson could be indicted or when he might be brought to Bastrop County.

    http://kxan.com/2015/10/22/vontrey-c...murder-charge/
    "I realize this may sound harsh, but as a father and former lawman, I really don't care if it's by lethal injection, by the electric chair, firing squad, hanging, the guillotine or being fed to the lions."
    - Oklahoma Rep. Mike Christian

    "There are some people who just do not deserve to live,"
    - Rev. Richard Hawke

    “There are lots of extremely smug and self-satisfied people in what would be deemed lower down in society, who also deserve to be pulled up. In a proper free society, you should be allowed to make jokes about absolutely anything.”
    - Rowan Atkinson

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    VonTrey Clark pleads not guilty to capital murder charge

    By Claire Ricke
    KXAN News

    BASTROP, Texas (KXAN) — The former Austin police officer charged in the death of Samantha Dean and her unborn baby pleaded not guilty to the charge of capital murder at his arraignment on Wednesday morning.

    VonTrey Clark, 32, was arraigned in Judge Carson Campbell’s court. The judge also signed an attorney gag order and agreed to seal the grand jury transcript.

    Dean was found shot to death in a Bastrop County parking lot in February.

    In late July, former officer Clark traveled to Indonesia for what his lawyer described as medical reasons. This was around the same time Austin Police internal affairs investigators said they wanted to interview Clark. Authorities escorted Clark from Bali back to Bastrop County in September.

    Clark is accused of orchestrating the shooting death of his girlfriend. Dean was seven months pregnant at the time with a baby girl investigators believe was Clark’s child.

    http://kxan.com/2015/11/18/vontrey-c...r-arraignment/
    "I realize this may sound harsh, but as a father and former lawman, I really don't care if it's by lethal injection, by the electric chair, firing squad, hanging, the guillotine or being fed to the lions."
    - Oklahoma Rep. Mike Christian

    "There are some people who just do not deserve to live,"
    - Rev. Richard Hawke

    “There are lots of extremely smug and self-satisfied people in what would be deemed lower down in society, who also deserve to be pulled up. In a proper free society, you should be allowed to make jokes about absolutely anything.”
    - Rowan Atkinson

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    VonTrey Clark’s friend indicted on capital murder charge

    By Calily Bien
    KXAN News

    BASTROP, Texas (KXAN) — A high school friend of VonTrey Clark’s, the man accused of orchestrating Samantha Dean’s death, has now been indicted on capital murder.

    Kevin Watson, 31, is currently in the Harris County Jail where he has been held since April on unrelated charges. On Sept. 3, Watson was officially charged with capital murder. A Bastrop County grand jury indicted Watson on Wednesday afternoon, just a few hours after Clark, 32, plead not guilty to capital murder at his arraignment.

    On June 4, a Texas Ranger interviewed Aaron Williams regarding Dean’s homicide. Williams told detectives Watson told him Clark was looking “to pay someone $5,000 to kill Dean and her baby due to Dean wanting Clark to pay child support for the baby,” according to the warrant. Williams went onto say Watson told him he and Freddie Smith killed Dean for Clark and that Clark had driven Dean to the location in Bastrop County and the “murder had been set up to look like a drug deal,” continued in the warrant.

    Back in August
    , when formal charges had yet to be brought, Watson’s mother, Denise Hill, told KXAN News her son could not have been involved “in something so heinous.” But Hill went on to say that if her son did have a part in Dean’s death, just should be served, “Whatever hand the justice system deals him, whatever hand they deal him, it’s probably not going to be painful enough.” Hill says her son and Clark met during their high school years in Austin.

    Watson’s girlfriend, 50-year-old Kyla Fisk, was booked on charges of tampering with evidence in connection to the case.

    Dean, who was seven months pregnant at the time, was shot and killed on Feb. 4.

    http://kxan.com/2015/11/19/vontrey-c...murder-charge/
    "I realize this may sound harsh, but as a father and former lawman, I really don't care if it's by lethal injection, by the electric chair, firing squad, hanging, the guillotine or being fed to the lions."
    - Oklahoma Rep. Mike Christian

    "There are some people who just do not deserve to live,"
    - Rev. Richard Hawke

    “There are lots of extremely smug and self-satisfied people in what would be deemed lower down in society, who also deserve to be pulled up. In a proper free society, you should be allowed to make jokes about absolutely anything.”
    - Rowan Atkinson

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    Samantha Dean murder suspect to be arraigned in January

    By Robert Maxwell
    KXAN News

    BASTROP COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) – One of the two suspects in the murder of Kyle Police Department victim services counselor Samantha Dean is due in Bastrop County court early in the New Year.

    A summons notice filed in Bastrop County court this week from District Court Judge Reva Towslee Corbett shows Kevin Leo Watson will be arraigned Jan. 20. He’s charged with capital murder along with former Austin Police Officer VonTrey Clark.

    At his arraignment hearing Nov. 18, Clark pled not guilty in Dean’s killing. A grand jury indicted Watson the very next day. He is currently locked up in the Harris County jail on unrelated charges. The capital murder charge was added in early September.

    KXAN has reported
    Watson is a childhood friend of Clark’s.

    Dean, who was pregnant was found shot to death in a Bastrop County shopping mall parking lot Feb. 4, 2015.

    http://kxan.com/2015/12/15/samantha-...ed-in-january/
    "I realize this may sound harsh, but as a father and former lawman, I really don't care if it's by lethal injection, by the electric chair, firing squad, hanging, the guillotine or being fed to the lions."
    - Oklahoma Rep. Mike Christian

    "There are some people who just do not deserve to live,"
    - Rev. Richard Hawke

    “There are lots of extremely smug and self-satisfied people in what would be deemed lower down in society, who also deserve to be pulled up. In a proper free society, you should be allowed to make jokes about absolutely anything.”
    - Rowan Atkinson

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    New arraignment date set for Samantha Dean murder suspect

    By Robert Maxwell
    KXAN News

    BASTROP, Texas (KXAN) – A newly-filed bench warrant
    shows one of the two men charged in the murder of Samantha Dean is due to appear in court March 23 for an arraignment hearing.

    Kevin Watson’s attorney Tyrone Montcriffe tells KXAN he expects his client will appear in person, although he’s unsure when Watson would be transported from the Harris County jail to Bastrop County. Law enforcement authorities typically do not broadcast such plans for security reasons.

    Watson has been locked up on unrelated drug charges since April 29, 2015. Harris County jail records show Watson was charged with capital murder in September in the death of Dean and her unborn baby Madeline.

    Montcriffe says an issue with an earlier bench warrant showing a Feb. 17 arraignment date prompted the hearing reset. He was unaware what that issue was.

    Last month, a subpoena for bank records filed Jan. 21 requested a detailed list of items from a Bank of America account belonging to a 34-year-old man named Jason Miles.

    VonTrey Clark, who told investigators he was the father of Dean’s baby pleaded not guilty in November to any involvement in the Dean’s death. Clark, a former Austin police officer was also indicted last year and charged with capital murder. He remains in the Bastrop County jail ahead of a pretrial hearing also set for later this month.

    http://kxan.com/2016/02/19/new-arrai...urder-suspect/
    "I realize this may sound harsh, but as a father and former lawman, I really don't care if it's by lethal injection, by the electric chair, firing squad, hanging, the guillotine or being fed to the lions."
    - Oklahoma Rep. Mike Christian

    "There are some people who just do not deserve to live,"
    - Rev. Richard Hawke

    “There are lots of extremely smug and self-satisfied people in what would be deemed lower down in society, who also deserve to be pulled up. In a proper free society, you should be allowed to make jokes about absolutely anything.”
    - Rowan Atkinson

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    VonTrey Clark pre-trial hearing set for today in capital murder case

    A pre-trial hearing is set for Wednesday in the capital murder case of former Austin police officer, VonTrey Clark. He is charged in the death of Samantha Dean and her unborn baby.

    The hearing was pushed back two weeks after Clark’s lawyer filed a motion in February to have the grand jury indictment against him dismissed. The attorney says part of witness testimony was not recorded. Clark’s attorney claims this would hinder cross-examination at the trial. Legal experts say it’s up to the prosecutor to record everything that is said.
    Continuing coverage

    Dean was found shot to death in Bastrop on Feb. 4, 2015. Clark is believed to be the father of Dean’s unborn baby.

    Kevin Watson, Clark’s friend, is also a suspect in the case. Watson is currently in Harris County Jail on unrelated drug charges.

    http://kxan.com/2016/03/09/vontrey-c...l-murder-case/
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    Is the death penalty being pursued in this case against Clark and Watson?

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