Tulsa World: Hitchita man found guilty in '04 killling

Home > News > Article

Newspaper View Print this story

Comment

RSS

Bookmark

Hitchita man found guilty in '04 killling

GUILTY
Clinton Riley Potts: A jury recoommended a life without parole sentence.

By SUSAN HYLTON World Staff Writer
Published: 8/4/2009 3:40 AM
Last Modified: 8/4/2009 4:32 AM

MUSKOGEE — A Muskogee County jury on Monday convicted a Hitchita man in the 2004 beating death of a Boynton man.

The jury recommended a life sentence without parole for Clinton Riley Potts, 34, after deliberating for about an hour and a half. Formal sentencing is set for Sept. 21.

Greg Clark was found face-down in his yard in Boynton with a fractured skull. He had been shot in both arms, beaten, and his throat had been slit.

"I'm just very thankful the jurors were able to take the evidence presented and see that the dots were all connected," Assistant District Attorney Farley Ward said.

Testimony indicated that Potts was angry because his girlfriend was having an affair and living with Clark and that Potts had threatened to kill Clark.

Potts admitted on the stand that he threatened to kill Clark but denied actually doing it, Ward said.

His girlfriend, Wendy Vogt, testified that when she was at Clark's home, Potts had pulled up outside and that they soon noticed that Clark's truck had been set on fire.

"He was trying to send Greg Clark a message when he did that in his front yard," Ward said.

Testimony also indicated that Clark and Ward were hunting buddies, used methamphetamine together and were partners in stealing cars and selling parts.

Defense attorney Rex Earl Starr noted that Vogt had testified that Potts was with her when Clark was killed.

Potts and Jerry Clay Pippin initially were accused of acting together to cause Clark's death in a murder-for-hire scheme in which Potts paid Pippin $1,500.

Charges against Pippin were dropped when witnesses came forward with an alibi.

Susan Hylton 581-8381
susan.hylton@tulsaworld.com By SUSAN HYLTON World Staff Writer

Newspaper View Print this story

Comment

RSS

Bookmark

Reader Comments

Show: Most Recent Comment First

Add your comment

2 comments have been made on this story so far. Tell us what you think below!

Reporting Comments

If you see a comment that violates our terms and conditions, please help us by clicking the "Report this Comment" link next to a comment. That will alert the web staff to review the comment. Thank you. -- Web Editor Jason Collington

	Report Comment scooter2, (8/4/2009 8:44:22 AM) Good Job Jury, another murderer off the streets. What a horriable crime.
	Report Comment Few Clothes, Austin, TX (8/4/2009 3:26:43 PM) This piece of dung should get the needle, instead of getting life without parole.

Add Your Comment
In order to post a comment on this article, you must sign in to Tulsaworld.com. If you do not have a site account, you can create an account for free.