Family Seeks Justice In Son's Death

A family pushes for justice in the mysterious death of their son. It's been nearly a year since Jarret Clark was found dead at Fort Gibson Lake in Wagoner County. His family is working now to make

Tuesday, March 27th 2007, 2:25 pm

By: News On 6

A family pushes for justice in the mysterious death of their son. It's been nearly a year since Jarret Clark was found dead at Fort Gibson Lake in Wagoner County. His family is working now to make sure he isn't forgotten. News On 6 anchor Craig Day reports Jarretâ€™s parents are pushing for the case to go before a grand jury.

At major intersections in Broken Arrow, you may have seen â€œJustice For Jarretâ€ signs. Clark's family hopes the signs will prevent his mysterious death from being forgotten.

"It's pushing a year now,â€ said Clarkâ€™s Stepfather Eric Slater. â€œHis birthday is coming up. It's like it happened yesterday to us."

Clark's body was found in May of last year. He had been on a camping trip with several other people at Fort Gibson Lake. A medical examiners report ruled the 18-year-old had drowned, but what led up to the drowning is still unclear.

"Everything points to foul play,â€ said Clarkâ€™s mother Tammy Slater. â€œEverything points to foul play."

Wagoner County District Attorney Jerry Moore is working on the case on an ongoing basis, but he says at this point there's not enough evidence to bring charges.

Investigators say witnesses told them Clark had been drinking that night at Fort Gibson Lake and that he had walked away from a fight, but according to the medical examiners report, only a trace amount of alcohol was found in his system and that could have happened naturally when his body decomposed.

The Wagoner County District Attorney's office is exploring other options which include possibly bringing the case before a grand jury.

"Every single person who was there that night is going to have to tell their story,â€ said Eric Slater, â€œThey've lied and lied and lied, and it's all going to have to come out."

Until it is brought before a grand jury, the family will keep working to bring Clark's case to the public eye. His mother says there hasn't been a day since Clark was reported missing, she hasn't cried.

"You never expect to have to bury your own child. Why? Why did I have to do that?" she said.

Clarkâ€™s birthday is April 5th and this year he would have turned 19 years old. His family plans to observe the birthday by having many of his friends over to release balloons in his memory. There are also plans to hand out hundreds of flyers at area events to remind people about the case.

Related stories:

08/30/06 Drowning Listed As The Cause Of A Broken Arrow Teen's Death

05/19/06 Missing Broken Arrow Teenâ€™s Body Found In Fort Gibson Lake