CHARLES TOWN, W.Va. — A Harpers Ferry man could be sentenced to 80 years in prison for the March 2016 shooting of his wife and daughter.
Charles Clark, 85, entered an Alford Plea Monday after admitting to shooting his 79-year-old wife Shirley Clark and 60-year-old daughter Elizabeth Mansfield during a domestic dispute.
Jefferson County Prosecuting Attorney Matt Harvey said Clark tried to plead guilty last year, but was sent for a psychological evaluation in Charleston.
“He said some things that made the judge want to seek further evaluation on his mental competency,” Harvey said.
Clark was found competent to stand trial and entered a plea agreement that would have seen him serve 10 years for each murder charge, but Harvey withdrew once he took office after being elected in November.
“The plea agreement was 10 years for each count,” he said. “They were going to argue whether it was consecutive or concurrent and based on that, he could have been out in five years.”
Now the state is seeking the maximum 40 years for each charge.
Clark will be sentenced on August 25 in Jefferson County Circuit Court.