Caleb Carrothers

Timeline

• July 11, 2009 — Caleb Carrothers shot and killed Frank Clark and his son, Taylor, in their Oxford-area home; Tonya Clark was nonfatally shot.
• May 19, 2011 — A jury convicted Caleb Carrothers of two counts of capital murder for the Clarks' deaths and one count of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon in the nonfatal shooting of Tonya Clark.
• May 20, 2011 — The jury sentenced Caleb Carrothers to death by lethal injection in Lafayette County Circuit Court.
• May 21, 2011 — Death penalty cases were automatically appealed to the Mississippi Supreme Court.
• May 24, 2011 — Attorneys stated they would appeal the death sentence and raised an issue about Judge Andrew Howorth denying an expert witness in witness identification.

Background

Caleb Carrothers was one of three boys. His mother’s circumstances included losing his own mother and having her husband walk out, which Caleb Carrothers-Agulanna described as leading to a deep depression when he was a small child. Carrothers-Agulanna said she was very sorry for what happened and empathized with Tonya Clark over losing a son. She asked the jury to spare her son’s life.

Caleb Carrothers had out on parole six weeks when he killed Frank and Taylor Clark, apparently over drugs and money. The source also indicated Carrothers had served 10 years in prison on four counts of armed robbery and that he had served a total of time linked to four counts of armed robbery.

Carrothers’ attorney was Kelsey Rushing of the Mississippi Office of the Capital Defense Counsel.

Caleb Carrothers’ brother, Marcus Corrothers, was serving a 20-year sentence for armed robbery.

Caleb Carrothers’ former middle school teacher, Arleen Dowd, described him as a “passionate” child who had trouble sitting still and loved to draw. Dowd had selected him to be part of her Fulbright program aimed at helping children with academic and behavior problems. Dowd said she spoke with his mother several times about getting him additional help, and that his mother said she was “leaving it up to Jesus” and “leaving it up to God.” Dowd asked the jury to spare Corrothers’ life.

The offence

Caleb Carrothers committed gunshot killings of Frank Clark and his son, Taylor, in their Oxford-area home.

Frank Clark’s wife and Taylor’s mother, Tonya Clark, was shot in a way that was described as nonfatal. The jury convicted Carrothers of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon for wounding Tonya Clark.

The Clarks’ older son, Josh, was home and witnessed the killings but was not injured.

Investigation

Arrest

Trial

The trial was held in Lafayette County, where the crimes occurred. Jurors were chosen from Lee County.

The jury had the choice of sentencing Caleb Carrothers to the death penalty or life in prison without parole.

Verdicts

The jury convicted Caleb Carrothers of:

• two counts of capital murder for the deaths of Frank Clark and his son, Taylor; and
• one count of aggravated assault in the nonfatal shooting of Tonya Clark.

Sentencing

At sentencing, Tonya Clark told jurors how empty her life had been since losing her husband and son.

“No words can describe what it is like to lose half of your family in just seconds,” she said.
“I love my family, and I am thankful Josh is around, along with my parents. But my life is forever changed, and that hurts more than I can describe.”

Defense attorneys tried to convince the jury that Caleb Carrothers’ bad childhood, living in poverty and without a father figure, set him on a path leading to the courtroom facing the death penalty.

Statements at the sentencing hearing

Caleb Carrothers-Agulanna asked the jury to spare her son’s life.

“During that time of my life, I wasn't really able to take care of the kids the way they should have been,” Corrothers-Agulanna said through tears.

Caleb Carrothers-Agulanna spoke to Tonya Clark and other members of the Clark family sitting in the courtroom. Sobbing, she said she was very sorry for what happened to them and empathized with Tonya over losing a son.

Caleb Carrothers’ brother, Marcus Corrothers, also spoke at the hearing. Marcus was serving a 20-year sentence for armed robbery. Marcus made no pleas for his brother’s life. He said he felt Caleb followed in his footsteps and looked up to him since he was six years older than Caleb.

Arleen Dowd described Caleb Carrothers and asked the jury to spare his life.

“She said she was leaving it up to Jesus,” Dowd said.
“She was leaving it up to God.”

Dowd also told the jury:

“This young man should not be with us here today,” she said.
“He should be a street artist in New Orleans or having a gallery show in New York. We're here because something wasn't right. I've carried Caleb with me for a long time. I would feel a great loss ... I think you can give him the chance he needs to be productive, to do something good with his mind or hands, even under these circumstances.”

Prosecutors told the jury those were just excuses and that Carrothers should be held responsible for the choices he made.

Death warrant setting

Circuit Court Judge Andrew Howorth set the execution by lethal injection for 6 p.m. Nov. 15. The date was expected to change several times. Inmates were typically on death row in Mississippi for more than a decade.

Howorth said:

“May God have mercy on your soul,” Howorth said before Corrothers was taken out of the courtroom by armed officers.

Caleb Carrothers was sentenced to death at the Lafayette County Courthouse in Oxford, Mississippi, on Friday, May 20, 2011. Caleb Carrothers was seated and surrounded by Lafayette County deputies and was standing when he was taken out of the courtroom.

Appeals

Since the jury sentenced Caleb Carrothers to death, he was automatically granted an appeal to the Mississippi Supreme Court.

Kelsey Rushing said one possible issue to appeal was Circuit Court Judge Andrew Howorth’s denying an expert witness in the field of witness identification to testify during the trial.

“We had an expert here that I think was certainly qualified, but the judge didn't allow it,” Rushing said.

Outcome

Caleb Carrothers was sentenced to death by lethal injection on May 20, 2011 for the July 11, 2009 gunshot killings of Frank Clark and his son, Taylor, with an aggravated assault conviction for the nonfatal shooting of Tonya Clark.

Aftermath

Death penalty cases were automatically appealed to the Mississippi Supreme Court after the death sentence was imposed. Attorneys stated they would appeal the death sentence and planned to raise the witness identification expert issue.