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Lab Tech Sentenced To 44 Years For Killing Yale Grad Student
By
Jen Chung
Published Jun 4, 2011
Modified Jun 4, 2011
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By
Jen Chung
Published Jun 4, 2011
Modified Jun 4, 2011
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Raymond Clark III pleaded guilty to killing Yale University doctoral student Annie Le in 2009 and was sentenced to 44 years in prison. After a search for the missing 24-year-old, Le's body was found on what would have been her wedding day, stuffed inside a wall at a Yale research building. Clark, a lab technician who was arrested based on DNA, keycard and video surveillance, said in a New Haven courtroom, "I stand here today taking full responsibility for my actions. I am truly, truly sorry for taking Annie’s life."
Members of Le's family traveled from Placerville, California to confront Clark. Her mother, Vivian Van Le, said, "She told me many times how happy she was to start her family. I will never see her walking down the aisle. I will never hold my grandchildren. I will never see Annie's dreams come true. I only see my Annie in my dreams," while her brother Chris said he had been struggling with depresison, "I was in school, now I'm not. I never had a DUI, now I do. I never found solace in experimenting with drugs, I did in my darkest moments. I never had to see a psychologist, but I do that now." You can read more statements here.
Le, a doctoral student in the Department of Pharmacology, was planning on getting married to Huntington, Long Island native Jonathan Widawsky on September 13, 2009, but the wedding was cancelled because she went missing. After her body was found, Clark's semen was found on her clothing and her underwear was "disarranged." Newsday reports, "The case against Clark overwhelmingly favored his guilt. Evidence included a green-ink pen he used to sign in to work the day of the slaying, later found under Le's body with DNA; access-card swipes recorded him continually entering and exiting the room where she was found dead; his attempts to generate an alibi for his whereabouts; his being caught wiping down the crime scene; and bloody clothing with genetic material belonging to him and Le. Authorities have never provided a clear motive for the slaying." Newsday also obtained a copy of Clark's handwritten statement, which did not give a reason for the killing:
Statement read by Raymond Clark III at sentencing
Clark's father also issued a statement, expressing his great sorrow to the Le family, his love for his son, and reassurances to the Les that the Clarks would not, in spite of numerous of invitations, appear on television to discuss the crime. Clark, 26, will be 70 when he completes his sentence; those convicted of murder in Connecticut are not up for parole. While prosecutors weren't happy with the plea deal and sentence, apparently the judge accepted the deal in order to spare the Le family the pain of going through a trial where grisly details would be revealed.
Attorney Joseph Tacopina (yes, him), who is representing the Le family, suggested that the family might purse a civil suit against Yale; the Yale Daily News reports that he acknowledge "Yale could potentially face a lawsuit if it were proven security was inadequate at the time of Le's death. He added that he and the family are determined to ensure all of those responsible for Le’s death 'in any way, shape, or form' are held accountable. He declined to say with certainty whether the family would file a lawsuit or who they may pursue a suit against, but did say that if an investigation determines Le’s death could have been prevented, the family would consider taking further legal action."
Tagged
annie le
Jonathan Widawsky
joseph tacopina
murder
Raymond clark
sentencing
yale university
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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