(MARIETTA, Ohio) -- Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine and Washington County Sheriff Larry R. Mincks Sr. announced today that a former deputy with the Washington County Sheriff's Office has been charged with the 1981 death of Washington County Sheriff's Deputy Lt. Ray "Joe" Clark.
Special prosecutors presented evidence this morning to a Washington County Grand Jury which returned an indictment for aggravated murder against Mitchell Ruble, 63, of Lowell, Ohio.
The indictment follows an investigation by the Washington County Sheriff's Office's Cold Case Squad, with assistance from Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) agents working as part of Attorney General DeWine's Ohio Unsolved Homicides Initiative.
"Many unsolved homicides are only missing one piece of the puzzle needed to complete the picture," said Attorney General DeWine. "In this case, new evidence recently uncovered by local and state authorities was exactly what was needed to solve this crime."
"Finding out who killed Lt. Clark has always been a top priority of this office, and today I am feeling great relief that Mr. Ruble, who has long been a suspect in this case, will be brought to justice," said Sheriff Mincks. "Lt. Clark was a talented law enforcement officer who was dedicated to protecting his community, and we hope he will be able to rest easier now that the person responsible for his death is behind bars."
Lt. Clark was shot to death at his Marietta home on Dodd's Run Road on February 7, 1981. Investigators allege that Ruble waited outside of Lt. Clark's home and shot him with a shotgun through the kitchen window.
Ruble worked as a deputy with the Washington County Sheriff's Office until December 1979, when Lt. Clark terminated his employment due to the use of excessive force while on duty.
"We do believe that revenge was the motive for this crime," said Sheriff Mincks.
Authorities with the Washington County Special Response Team arrested Ruble this afternoon. He is currently being held in the Washington County Jail without bond pending an appearance in Marietta Municipal Court.
"We hope today's arrest will help bring comfort, not only to Lieutenant Clark's family, but to other families affected by an unsolved crime," said Attorney General DeWine. "No matter how long ago a crime occurred, you should not give up hope that the case will be solved."
Prosecutors with Attorney General DeWine's Special Prosecutions Section are prosecuting the case at the request of Washington County Prosecutor James Schneider. BCI's Special Investigations Unit, Criminal Intelligence Unit, and Crime Laboratory assisted the Washington County Sheriff's Office with the investigation.
Lt. Clark's case is one of nearly 1,900 cases listed in the Ohio Attorney General's Ohio Unsolved Homicides Database, which was expanded by Attorney General DeWine in 2012 as part of his Ohio Unsolved Homicides Initiative. Through the initiative, BCI can provide investigative resources to assist local law enforcement agencies in investigating unsolved homicides.
Indictment
Photograph of Lt. Ray "Joe" Clark
Ohio Unsolved Homicides Database
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Media Contacts:
Dan Tierney: 614-466-3840
Jill Del Greco: 614-466-3840