Bob McCarty Writes

EDITOR’S NOTE: Continued from Part Four, below is Part Five of Carrie Fatigante’s six-part series about the still-unsolved mystery surrounding the death of Jarret Austin Clark, a young Oklahoma man, only days after his high school graduation.

By Carrie Fatigante

Below is the second half of an email Tammy Slater, mother of Jarret Clark, received from a cousin of Courtney Manzer almost two years after Jarret’s death May 14, 2006. Supporting the conclusions of Jarret’s family and friends, Courtney’s cousin describes a scene that Courtney relayed to her shortly after Jarret’s death. Some punctuation has been changed for clarity of text. No other words have been changed.

The reason all this came out was because Courtney came back to my mom’s house dirty and obviously distraught and after some prying she spilled it. She also said that they broke down camp really fast and they stole Brandon’s [meant Jarret’s] phone and took his shoes and coat from what I understood. I am guessing that Brandon spoke with you and told you that Jarret “got what he deserved” and the phone was thrown from a moving vehicle. After that they talked about what they would say and came home.

I am so sorry I even had to write this but it has haunted me for two years now. I wish I could give you your son back. I did talk with an OSBI agent at my mom’s house when they came to talk to us. But my mom being a severe alcoholic couldn’t recall exactly what Courtney said. And trust me my mom can’t remember my kids names all the time. So she didn’t mean any harm. But I did tell the lady that I knew Brandon and Courtney were guilty and she reassured me that she thought that Courtney was lying abut her statement.

I don’t know how accurate all this information is because teen girls can exaggerate or refrain from telling information if you know what I mean. But Tammy. I saw the look in Courtney’s eyes. And I think she saw what happened to Jarret.

I don’t know if Brandon and Courtney are together the last I heard they were and have been. But I didn’t know that Brandon was in Jail so I could be out of the loop since I moved so far away from them all. I love my family But I had to get away from them. Good people with to many problems. Me and Courtney’s Aunt also went to the police when all this happened because she knew they killed Jarret and wanted them also to look in the lake but she also has since changed her story. I was there the day she went to BA police and told them everything she knew.

Again I am so so sorry for your loss and wish I could ease your pain. I talk to Courtney still from time to time but she doesn’t say a word these days even when I ask. If there is anything else just let me know. And hugs to you and your family. I wish that Courtney would come forward but I am ashamed to say she is to selfish to do that. I already tried to convince her of that and she pulled away from me.

(Sender’s name omitted for privacy reasons.)

By the time this message was sent, Brandon had again been arrested in June 2007 (and convicted in April 2008) on charges of second-degree burglary, knowingly concealing stolen property, possession of a controlled drug, possession of paraphernalia and malicious injury/mischief. Brandon was also called to testify before a multi-county grand jury regarding Jarret’s case in 2007, but failed to appear.

Continued in Part Six of “What Really Happened to Jarret Clark?”

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