If you hail from the Charleston or even from the state of West Virginia, you are probably familiar with the affluent South Hills neighborhood which sits high above the state’s Capitol city. This neighborhood, is known for its stately homes and prominent citizens which reside within its confines. There is a feeling of security that comes with living here. But on August 21, 1953, the security of South Hills was (for a moment in time at least) shattered.
From inside the comforts of her home, Juliet Staunton Clark, owner of the Charleston Daily Mail newspaper, was found beaten to death with an unknown object, discovered by her driver and housekeeper the following morning upon their arrival at work. Her body was left splayed on a rumpled green area rug in the residences’ living room. The front door to the residence, as well as the back entrance to the home were both left ajar and the exterior lights remained illuminated despite the presence of the morning sun. Miraculously enough, Juliet’s grandson, Arch Alexander III was discovered safe, having slept through the attack that occurred only one room away.
It was estimated that Juliet had been murdered somewhere between 11:00pm and Midnight on August the 21st. Recounting the events of the night before, it was known that Juliet dined at her residence with her son, Lyell Clay who arrived at 7:00pm and left about an hour later, around 8:00pm. Her son in law, Arch Alexander Jr. arrived at the residence shortly thereafter. While at the residence, Arch planned to obtain a hot water bottle and helped put his son to bed, who was staying on at his grandmother’s house. Before leaving, Arch chatted briefly with Juliet, but it is known that he left inexplicably without the water bottle. A friend, Mrs. J. Horner Davis, was known to have spoken to Juliet at length around 10:30pm that evening, and was one of the last people Juliet communicated with prior to her death. Recollections of their conversation did little to indicate that any trouble was afoot, nor did Juliet confirm the presence of any company at the residence aside from little Jay.
From the autopsy, it was determined that Juliet died as a result of multiple skull fractures and bleeding by blows to the head. But why would anybody want to murder Juliet Clark?
There have been several theories that have circulated throughout the years, though in the inception of the investigation it was believed that robbery was the motive for the attack. This idea stemmed from the disappearance of a red billfold that was known to have been within the contents of Mrs. Clarks purse. However, it has also been said that no jewelry or valuables were disturbed from the residence which casts doubt on this theory.
Another motive came from the known friction that existed between Juliet and her son in law, Arch Alexander II. Not only was Alexander one of the last people known to have been in the company of Juliet on the evening of August 21, 1953, he was notably Charleston Police Departments leading suspect in the case. Despite the insurmountable speculation that seemed to surrounded Alexander as the prime suspect, he was never charged with his mother in law’s murder.
Charleston PD employed the efforts of renowned polygraph specialist, Dr. Fred Inbau, as a means of eliciting a confession from the killer. These results have never been made public, however, according to the recent resurfacing of these artifacts, it is said that a stand out person of interest is detailed in the findings.
Perhaps the key to solving Juliet’s murder lies in a piece of splintered wood that was recovered nearby the body at the crime scene. The wood, which was believed to have splintered from the instrument used to bludgeon the life out of Juliet Clark, is of white oak. Though a murder weapon has never been identified, this clue corroborates the belief that a billy club or ball peen hammer had been used to murder the Newspaper Mogul. Both weapons are known to have been made with white oak.
Juliet Staunton Clark was laid to rest on August 24, 1953 at the Mountain View Cemetery in Charleston, WV surrounded by friends and family. It has been sixty nine (69) years this year since the brutal slaying of Juliet Staunton Clark and her case is still cold. This is not currently an active investigation. If you or anyone you know has any information regarding the murder of Juliet Staunton Clark, shoot us an email at ColdCaseCrew00@gmail.com.
Join the Cold Case Crew as they dive deep into The Murder of Juliet Staunton Clark, available where ever you get your podcasts on December 7, 2022 and let us know What’s YOUR theory?
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References:
Books:
Ryan, Charlie and Evans, Mitch. Murder on Staunton Road: The Violent Death of Charleston Daily Mail Owner Juliet Staunton Clark. Sycamore Tree. 2020.
Newspapers:
The Charleston Gazette
The Charleston Daily Mail
Hinton Daily News
Beckley Post-Herald
The Raleigh Register
Websites:
Youtube:
Mysterious WV- UNSOLVED: The Murder of Juliet Staunton Clark
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