Herndon 'Most Wanted' fugitive apprehended
By Gregg MacDonald
Thanks to the tenacity of a Louisiana state trooper, former Herndon pastor and “America's Most Wanted” fugitive Jack E. Clark has been brought to justice.
Jack E. Clark, former assistant pastor of a Pentecostal Church that once owned property at the intersection of Park and Monroe streets in Herndon, was convicted in 1996 of forcible sodomy and statutory rape of a 12-year-old girl whom he knew from his congregation.
According to court records, Clark's attorney filed for an appeal in June 1997.
The case eventually made its way to the Virginia Supreme Court where, in 2001, it was ruled that Clark's original convictions would stand.
But by that time, Clark's whereabouts were unknown. A bench warrant was issued for the former Herndon resident, who was believed to have fled Virginia.
He was not seen again for nearly two years when, in 2003, according to the TV program "America's Most Wanted," Clark was spotted sleeping in a Chevy Astro van in Los Angeles, Calif., but he eluded local authorities there.
Clark was listed as a "Fugitive from Justice" on the Feb. 17, 2007, airing of the program.
Earlier this month, on May 8, Clark was finally apprehended in Houston, Texas, after a Louisiana State Trooper relentlessly pursued him and uncovered his identity.
When the Trooper, Wayne Thomson, investigated a call from a casino in West Lake, La., saying that a loaded gun was found in some discarded luggage, he immediately knew he was on to something.
“This was not your typical throw-down, or some .38 special,” Thomson told The Times on Friday. “This was a $1,200 weapon, a Colt .45 model 1911 with competition sights – my dream pistol and definitely something I’d like to have in my own gun case.”
Thomson learned that, a week earlier, a man entered the casino with his luggage and left it with the concierge when his room was not ready. However, the man never returned for the luggage, which was inventoried by security. That's when the gun, two additional clips and a leather holster were found. Security called the Louisiana State Police and unfortunately for Clark, Thomson responded to the call.
“You have to know me, I guess,” Thomson said. “If I sense something is wrong, I won't let it go.”
Also inside the luggage was a pay stub to a “Jeffrey Wayne Johnson” from a Houston construction company. Thomson called the company and learned that Johnson no longer worked there but still kept in contact with some employees.
A few days later, “Johnson” returned to the casino to retrieve his items. Casino employees tried to stall him until Thomson could get to the casino, but he was 30 miles away and could not arrive in time.
However, this time a casino employee scanned a copy of “Johnson's” Michigan drivers license while he was waiting.
Thomson learned that Johnson's license was a fake. He also learned that the Social Security number issued to Johnson belonged to a Virginia woman. “He was trying really hard, and was successful, in hiding his identity,” Thomson told The Times.
Thomson again called the Houston construction company to get more information on Johnson. That's when he learned that Johnson had called a friend at the company looking to borrow money. “I contacted the Houston fugitive task force, and they did a sting operation when he went to borrow the money,” Thomson said.
Clark eventually confessed his true identity and is being held in Houston.
Clark's fate is uncertain as he now also faces charges in Louisiana.
“I did my interrogation of Mr. Clark today,” Thomson said on Friday. “I have filed a warrant for him for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, which in Louisiana carries a mandatory minimum of 10 years, and I guarantee you a Louisiana jail is a lot worse than one in Virginia.”