The Great Smoky Mountain Journal
Source: Fox News
Posted: Tuesday, January 01, 2019 02:25 PM
Knox District Attorney Suspends Prosecution In Case Against Norman Clark Relating To 2011 Death Of Brittany Eldridge
"As difficult as this decision is, I am confident that it is the appropriate one at this time. The decision to suspend prosecution, however, does not bar the re-filing of charges if new evidence is obtained," DA Allen said.
Clark was scheduled to be in court for a retrial on February 13 before the suspension of prosecution.
Records said if further evidence is discovered, the case could be brought back to the courtroom.
CASE BACKGROUND
Eldridge's mother, Robin Owens, discovered her daughter naked on her bedroom floor with stab wounds on her neck and strangled to death in December 2011. The murder weapon is believed to be a pair of scissors.
Owens told authorities Clark was kind until he found out about Eldridge's pregnancy.
Clark's alibi was that he was watching TV at Leann Hawn's home the night Eldridge was killed. Hawn initially told investigators she fell asleep at 9:30 p.m. and woke up to Clark walking into her room at 10:30 p.m.
An agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation said he pinged Clark's phone in the general area of Eldridge's apartment at the times of 8:28 p.m., 8:29 p.m., and 9:05 p.m. In Clark's first trial, his attorneys did not have an alibi for the time period between 8:30 p.m. and 9 p.m.
After testing over 20 DNA samples, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation released there is no DNA evidence linking Clark to Eldridge's murder.
