Roll of Honor
Incident
Lieutenant Joe Clark was shot and killed from ambush while standing in the kitchen of his home in the 400 block of Dodd's Run Road in Marietta. He was struck by a shotgun blast that was fired through his kitchen window. The case remained unsolved until September 16th, 2014, when a former Washington County sheriff's deputy was arrested and charged with Lieutenant Clark's murder. The subject had been fired by Lieutenant Clark in December 1979 for using excessive force while on duty. On October 20th, 2015, a jury was unable to render a verdict and was declared deadlocked. The subject was retried and found guilty of murder on March 11th, 2016. He was subsequently sentenced to life in prison with the eligibility for parole after 15 years. He died in prison on March 18th, 2017. On August 9th, 2017, the offender's conviction was upheld posthumously during the appeal process. Lieutenant Clark had served with the Washington County Sheriff's Office for 14 years.
Survivors
He was survived by his wife, son, stepdaughter, sister, brother, and parents.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-OH-0320DA7D- Stewardship
- Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
- Added to badge.nw
- April 2, 2026
- Last updated
- July 23, 2026
Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.
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Tributes
I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Lieutenant Clark gave the Washington County Sheriff's Office 14 years.
Thank you for your service to the Marietta community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Lieutenant Clark.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Lieutenant Ray R. "Joe" Clark is one of 17,623 officers killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 54.2% of all 32,508 officers honored here.
In OH, 572 of 991 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 57.7% of this state's fallen. That is 3.5 percentage points above the national rate of 54.2%.
At Washington County Sheriff's Office, 3 of 3 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 100% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Ray R. "Joe" Clark's cause is highlighted.
How Ray R. "Joe" Clark Compares
Offender Outcome
Life with eligibility of parole
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Ray R. "Joe" Clark is highlighted in Feb.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. Ray R. "Joe" Clark was killed by shotgun.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
2 officers from Washington County Sheriff's Office are honored on badge.nw.
