After the guilty verdict: Lowndes co. families remember loss of loved ones

With a guilty verdict, the family can take an extra step towards gaining closure.

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI)- A Clay County jury has found Clark Allen Jr. guilty of murder.

Family members may have exited the courtroom with justice, but their hearts remain broken from the loss of their loved ones.

Allen was accused of killing 31-year-old Demario Snell, 22-year-old Mauricio Nance, and 24-year-old Tyshun Fields in Artesia in January 2019.

After three years and a half years, the murderer who committed the triple homicide will spend the rest of his life in prison.

” I had to go to a graveyard to tell my son justice had been served,” said Yarbrough.

Talking to a headstone. That’s how Veronica Yarbrough says she now communicates with her son, 31-year-old year-old Demario Snell.

Snell, along with Mauricio Nance and Tyshun Fields were all shot and killed nearly four years ago by Clark Allen Jr.

With a guilty verdict, the family can take an extra step towards gaining closure.

” Everybody was rejoicing, clapping, and clenching that I knew that justice had been served,” said Yarbrough.

But, Yarbrough said she faced challenging times during the investigation and trial.

” To see the yesterday pictures, was the last time I saw him. He came over my house that Monday before it happened. Those pictures were the last time that I got a chance to see him,” said Yarbrough.

She even contemplated the unthinkable…

“For three years and five months I haven’t slept. When I say I haven’t slept believe me. There were days I couldn’t come out my house. There were days I wanted to kill myself and committ suicide. I didn’t know how to live, ” said Yarbrough.

” We’re going to always hurt but we’re going to always have memories of these three guys. They’ll never be forgotten. They’ll always be in our hearts,” said Mamie Johnson.

16th District Attorney Scott Colom said witnesses were brought to testify during the week-long trial.

” The defendant testified he continued to show callousness lack on regard for human life and not take any type of accountability for evil he exhibited on that day,” said Colom

Colom credits the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office for their hand in the investigation.

” They got ever piece of evidence from foot cash to DNA to ballistics. They searched three or four times for the gun. They did a lot of hard work that paid for at trial we were able to present overwhelming evidence to the jury,” said Colom.

Yarbrough said she considered the death penalty for Allen, she later decided against it.

Yarbrough and other families who tragically suffered a loss can now celebrate the lives of Snell, Nance, and Fields.

” He was one of a kind. Demario just loved. I asked God to allow me to forgive Clark Allen Jr. and I did,” said Yarbrough.

Colom tells WCBI Clark Allen Jr. will serve his life sentence without parole.