Cleveland Clark sentenced to death

All during his murder trial, Cleveland Clark made it known that he was innocent of being a hit man for murdering for hire a young Atlanta woman because the father thought that she was the wrong skin color. He cursed the judge in the case, even going so far as to have outbursts that would have made great television.

Unfortunately for him, this was real life. The state of Georgia and Fulton County were playing for keeps. After a jury found him guilty of the 2000 strangulation and stabbing death of Sparkle Rai, the same jury this evening came back with a unanimous sentence.

Death.

Even during the penalty phase, he remained defiant, saying that the trial was nothing more than a sham. He took the stand against the advice of his attorney in the penalty phase, going toe to toe with the judge overseeing the case, almost as if he were Christ and the judge was Pilate.

After several outbursts, he was taken out of the courtroom and the penalty phase continued until around 8 pm ET tonight in Atlanta. While the assistant DA asked that Mr. Clark be put to death, his attorney went the Huic ergo parce, Deus route and asked the jury to spare his life.

Under Georgia law, in order for a person to be sentenced to death, all 12 jurors have to agree, otherwise it's life in prison with no parole. They came through for the DA. Death by lethal injection.

Reactions to the sentence were in favor of the needle, including this one found on WXIA's site.

"Mr. Clark has earned the death penalty because of the brutality of his crime. He murdered a woman in front of her baby for money. Murdered a person he didn't even know for an Indian redneck who despised Cleveland just as much as he despised Sparkle. Lethal injection is too good for this doofus. A can of gas and a match would be more appropriate."

So here's my suggestion. Give him ONE appeal to SCOTUS (Supreme Court of the United States). Let him have one bite at the apple. Meanwhile, he'll sit in a cell until they say no and then he'll wait for a phone call from whoever will be governor of Georgia when that time comes. The phone will not ring. Then we'll see him try to squirm his way out.

Sparkle Rai did not deserve to die. She had the right to be happy. Her husband had the right to marry whoever he wanted. Her father in law, Chiaman Ra,i didn't see it that way and had her killed because she wasn't Indian. He sits in a prison cell in Georgia too, after being found guilty of the same crime in 2008. Trust me, Satan can't find a place for these two in hell fast enough.

Clark is a punk with a chip on his shoulder. He tried to deny his deed, treating Sparkle Rai as if she was nothing.  He fought the law. He even pounded a table and bellowed, "I didn't kill that (expletive) woman," according to accounts by the Atlanta Journal Constitution.  

"I said I didn't kill no (expletive) woman. What's wrong with you? I'm sick of this (expletive) telling lies on me." That woman that you didn't kill, Mr. Clark, can no longer speak for herself, will never see her child take its first steps, go off to kindergarden and grade school, graduate from high school and college or get married. And why? Because you took it upon yourself to be like Judas and take $10,000, which may as well be 30 pieces of silver.

Let's hope you find a Potter's Field somewhere and hang yourself.