Clarksdale has recorded its eighth and ninth homicides this year after a Memorial Day weekend shooting killed a man and a teenager shot two weeks ago died from his injuries over the weekend, too,
Clarksdale Police Chief Robbie Linley said Larry Johnson, 41, of Clarksdale, was shot in an altercation at East Gate Apartments about 5 a.m., Saturday and died from those injuries. Linley said police have been led to believe it was some kind of domestic disturbance.
Linley said Tuesday there have been no arrests and the incident is under intense investigation.
Police reports said another man in the area was hit by gunfire around that time and the incidents may be related. The second gunshot victim was transported to a Memphis hospital for treatment.
Police are asking anyone with information about this homicide or any violent crime in Clarksdale to contact police at 662-621-8151 or simply dial 911.
The 16-year-old who died this weekend was shot in the 200 block of Catalpa, Friday, May 17. He was flown to a Memphis hospital that night in serious condition.
Police reports in that shooting said a home was also hit by gunfire but the people inside were not involved in the shooting.
As of Wednesday, May 29, there have been nine homicides in Clarksdale and Coahoma County
Clarksdale recorded its seventh murder after a man died in an April 8 incident, just before the Juke Joint Festival, that was not reported by Clarksdale police in their regular police reports.
The Clarksdale Press Register was made aware of the incident by a concerned citizen and asked police for details of their investigation.
“April 8, 2024, around 2 a.m., CPD received a Medic Call to respond to the 100 block of Douglas Street,” police said in a statement. “Mr. (Patrick) Clerk was identified as the person who needed medical attention. This is a death investigation; investigators are looking for anyone who witnessed a possible assault against Mr. Clerk.”
Police did not give a full name or age of the victim.
“We do not have any information to determine if he was beaten with a baseball bat, and/or a tire iron,” police said. “No information thus far, suggest to investigators that Mr. Clerk’s death is gang related or connected to any recent shootings into dwellings.”
The body sent to the crime lab for an autopsy and was later determined to be a homicide.
“It is unfortunate that crucial information regarding crime or suspected crime is passed along to the media and LE (law enforcement) is left out,” police added in their statement. “Law enforcement is receptive to any and all anonymous tips/information that can help solve criminal activity in our city.”
A Good Friday robbery and shooting at D&T Supermarket killed the proprietor and that March 29 killing galvanized the community and was a key issue in several subsequent prayer-walks in Clarksdale.
D&T Supermarket was one of the last Chinese groceries in the Delta and a favorite of tourist wanting to experience a taste of Mississippi culture. The store has been a Highway 61 fixture for decades and was one of the last neighborhood grocery stores in town. It offered to deliver groceries to homes in Clarksdale – way before Walmart or Amazon started – free of charge.
The store has been closed and a local philanthropist bought the content of the store and gave it to local charities.
The incident was captured on camera and shows a Black mail entering the store, pulling a gun and demanding cash. The culprit apparently did not get any money in commission of this murder and robbery as he fled the store after the shooting started.
Armed robbery is a violent felony and coupled with the death in the commission of a robbery – regardless of the circumstances – is among the most serious crimes in Mississippi. Conviction can result in the death penalty, although Coahoma County juries have never asked for the death penalty in modern times.
The Clarksdale Police Department is offering $1,000 rewards for information on any of the unsolved homicides in Clarksdale since the first of 2024.
The D&T murder was the seventh homicide in Clarksdale since the first of the year and the first capital murder of 2024. Six of those murdered so far this year were teenagers.
The community is reminded that aiding or abetting the person or persons who committed these crimes is a felony and can result in charges of being an accomplice, which can result in them being charged with murder.
Family and friends are also reminded that not telling authorities where a suspect might be or lying to police about details of these murders can result in felony charges that can result in jail time.
The Coahoma County Sheriff’s Department has investigated the shooting death of a 13-year-old and arrested another 13-year-old in connection to that homicide. That investigation also led to two adults, who lived with that 13-year-old being charged with child abuse in relation to that shooting. Clarksdale police have arrested two people in its nine homicides this year, with one of those turning himself in.
