How Could You? Hall of Shame-Colton Clark case-Child Death and Homer [Austin] Clark case UPDATED

This will be an archive of heinous actions by those involved in child welfare, foster care and adoption. We forewarn you that these are deeply disturbing stories that may involve sex abuse, murder, kidnapping and other horrendous actions.

From Wewoka, Oklahoma, “Murder charges have been filed against a couple in connection to an Oklahoma cold case.

Colton Clark, 9, has been missing from Seminole County for 10 years.

On April 20, 2006, police said Colton disappeared from his Seminole home.

He was reported missing by his foster-mother and aunt, Rebecca Clark.

Rescue crews and authorities searched for days around the Clark’s property but never found any signs of Colton.

In September of 2015, the case was reopened by the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office and the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigations.

On April 8, the Seminole County district attorney announced Rebecca and Rex Clark were arrested in connection with Colton’s disappearance.

After new evidence from the multi-county grand jury, a judge signed a search warrant for the Clarks’ property.

He also signed arrest warrants for the Clarks for first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit a felony, child abuse and child neglect.

Rex and Rebecca had their initial appearance in Seminole County last week, just hours before arrest affidavits were filed.

The arrest affidavits and search warrant revealed disturbing details of alleged abuse by Rex and Rebecca on Colton and his brother, Homer.[Austin?]

The affidavit states “Rex used a red and white electric cattle prod to create an electrical shock to Homer and Colton’s genitals.”

Homer told investigators about a brutal beating in early March 2006 after the Clarks accused Colton of stealing a turquoise ring.

Homer said he saw Colton on the couch afterward, and his face was “black and blue.”

He told investigators he was not sure whether or not Colton was breathing.

When he came out later, “Colton was not on the couch.”

Investigators said “Homer was brainwashed to tell the story that Colton had run away.”

The search of the Clarks’ property continues.

According to the arrest affidavit, investigators believe Colton’s body may have been buried under a hay bale.

The Clarks remain in jail on $3 million bond each.

On Tuesday, they were officially charged with child abuse, first-degree murder, child neglect, conspiracy to commit a felony and intimidation of a witness.”

Couple charged with murder in connection to cold case disappearance of Oklahoma boy [KFOR 4/19/16 by Dallas Franklin]

“Prosecutors on Tuesday charged Rex and Rebecca Clark each with nine felonies, including first-degree murder, intimidation of a witness, conspiracy to commit a felony, two counts of child neglect and four counts of child abuse.”

Colton Clark update: Missing Seminole boy’s aunt, uncle charged with murder [The Shawnee News-Star 4/19/16 by AP]

2015 Article

“The Clarks had taken Colt and Homer out of public school soon after taking them into their care and were homeschooling them. Because they were under DHS supervision, a counselor had repeatedly attempted to meet with the family.

“We found out at the time that DHS wanted to get out there to talk to Colt. They (the Clarks) kept making excuses. They would schedule an appointment but then call back and say he was sick or had to go to the doctor, they made several excuses. Finally the worker told them, ‘Look we’re coming out there today and we’re going to see Colton.’ That’s when Rebecca called 911.

She said he was scared of DHS and jumped out of his window and started running,” said Hanson.

A thorough search of the home and property yielded no evidence. However, Sheriff Smith said they did find a receipt from a local lumberyard dated March 1, listing items “that could be consistent with disposing of a body.” Investigators did not want to say what those listed items were.

Hanson observed that Colt’s uncle, Rex Clark, seemed unconcerned during the search of the home and property. “Even two or three days later, he didn’t seem concerned. He said that he raised the boys as survivalists and that he knew how to survive for months or years on his own.”

According to early news reports, then Sheriff Joe Craig said that the Clarks immediately referred to Colt in the past tense and he believed that they were hiding something.

Days following the incident, investigators asked the Clarks to take a lie detector test. They agreed but later refused. Rebecca Clark declined at the discretion of their mental health professional, saying that the results would not be accurate due to medications that Rex and Homer were taking, and Rex having PTSD.”

Missing boy not forgotten: Colt Clark [Red Dirt Report 9/15/15 by Mindy Ragan Wood]

REFORM Puzzle Piece

Update:“A series of missed opportunities to save a nine-year-old boy who was horrifically abused by his adoptive parents has been revealed.

Social workers were repeatedly warned about the abuse of Colton Clark years before he vanished in 2006, a new report has revealed as his parents prepare to go on trial for his murder.

Colton was first reported missing on April 20, 2006 from his home in Seminole County, Oklahoma.

While his body was never found, his adoptive parents James Rex Clark and Rebecca Faith Clark, both 66, were charged with his murder.

Ahead of the trial, the Oklahoma Commission on Children and Youth released this week their report on the family’s dealings with Department of Human Services workers in the years before and right after the boy’s death.

The report shows that Colton was subject to years of horrific abuse, and that social workers had been warned about some of it before he disappeared but failed to act.

The boy’s adoptive father James Clark once handcuffed the boy to the bed when he was caught prowling around the house at night with a knife.

The Clarks were also accused of beating Colton and his older brother, and using a cattle prod on the boys’ genitals.

The boy’s older brother also claimed he was threatened by the Clarks to stick to their timeline of when Colton went missing, even though he says his younger brother was missing from the house much earlier than reported.

Family member say there was enough evidence early on to remove Colton and his brother from the home, which may have prevented the young boy’s murder.

‘Do I think DHS did wrong? Yes. I pretty much think they’re at fault for this,’ Colton’s half-sister Raven Womack told News9.com.

The Clarks are Colton and his brother’s aunt and uncle, and they were placed in the home in October 2003. A year later, in November 2004, the couple officially adopted them.

Just seven months later, in June 2005, the DHS received allegations that ‘the children were suffering from issues because of their past abuse’.

It took the department two whole months to send a worker out to interview Rebecca Clark, who claimed that ‘Colt was involved in self-mutilation and other inappropriate behaviors, such as killing the family’s pet bird, starting fires in occupied beds, and prowling around at night with a knife while the other family members slept’.

‘It was reported to the OKDHS that the adoptive dad handcuffed him (Colt) to the bed and as a result, everyone got a good night sleep,’ the report reads.

The DHS worker recommended that the family ‘continue to access all mental health services’ for the children, who had had five counselors in the past five years.

Two months after this meeting, DHS received a new allegation that the brothers were ‘in threat of harm by the adoptive parents’.

Despite the seriousness of the allegation, DHS only categorized the investigation as ‘Priority II’ and it was a month before they made it out to the family’s home on April 17, 2006.

When the worker arrived at the home, the found the ‘adoptive father’s clothes were wet and he explained that he had fallen in the pond when trying to retrieve an “almost dead catfish,”‘ according tot he report.

The worker also noted that James Clark ‘appeared to be on medication, as his speech was slightly slurred’.

James Clark told the worker that Colton was at a relative’s home, and the DHS worker left.

Three days later, on April 20, 2006, his adoptive parents reported to the department that Colton had gone messing from the home.

In response, DHS made a ‘finding of services recommended as to threat of harm by the adoptive parents’ and recommended again that the family seek counseling.

The commission suggests in their report that Colton may have gone missing much earlier than this.

When later questioned by DHS investigators, the older brother said that Colton had actually disappeared on March 23, 2006, and that he didn’t say this at first because his adoptive parents had threatened him.

He added that the last time he saw his brother, he was beaten black and blue after their adoptive parents accused him of stealing a turquoise ring.

The commission became involved in the case on May 10, 2006, when they received a complaint about the DHS’ handling of the boy’s disappearance.

That same month, the commissions started pushing for Colton’s older brother to be removed from the home, when they received a report that the boy’s adoptive parents had given him half a Valium pill even though he did not have a prescription.

However, the Seminole County district attorney’s office rejected three of these requests from DHS because of a lack of evidence.

The boy was finally taken into emergency custody on September 30, 2006, after he ran away from the home.

In their report, the commission criticizes DHS for ‘policy violation’ and not assigning a higher priority to complaints of possible abuse.

Colton’s half-sister did not rule out a lawsuit against DHS, but said that decision would be left to Colton’s older brother.   “

Beaten black and blue, handcuffed to the bed and tortured with a cattle prod: The missed opportunities to save nine-year-old boy from horrific abuse before he was ‘murdered by his adoptive parents’
[Daily Mail 10/21/16 by Ashley Collman]

Update 2:”A Seminole, Oklahoma, couple was found guilty of killing their 9-year-old foster son—despite the fact that his body was never found.

The Ada News reported that James Rex Clark, 67, and Rebecca Faith Clark, 61, were convicted Tuesday of first-degree murder-child abuse and four counts of child abuse by injury, in connection with the death of Levi Colton Clark.

Investigators searched the couple’s home in March 2006, when Levi disappeared, but didn’t locate the boy’s body. The case was reopened in September 2015 after the victim’s brother, Homer (who now goes by TJ Sloan), revealed what really happened to Levi, according to KFOR.

Sloan said he remembered James and Rebecca beating Levi with a belt when a ring went missing. He recalled seeing the 9-year-old lying bloodied on the couch with his face covered in black and blue bruises. He claimed that was the last time he saw his brother.

“He’s very, very emotional right now and apologizes but he’s not able to go on camera right now,” District Attorney Paul Smith said of Sloan following Tuesday’s verdict.

The local station noted that Rebecca and James were convicted Tuesday of also abusing Sloan.

The Clarks are the victim’s aunt and uncle and were acting as foster parents for Levi and Sloan. The children were in the couple’s care as the boys’ parents battled a drug addiction, according to The Ada News.

KFOR previously reported that the defense maintained that Sloan was a liar and that six witnesses saw Levi alive within 30 days following his supposed disappearance. They also asked why Sloan waited years to go to the police.

A Pontotoc County jury has recommended life sentences for each of the six counts.

“Long-awaited verdict, long-awaited call for justice that was finally received today,” Smith concluded.”

Foster parents beat 9-year-old son to death; boy’s body remains missing a DECADE later

[Crime online 10/10/17 by Jacquelyn Gray]