Man charged with murder and more after crime spree, South Carolina police say
A South Carolina man’s violent crime spree included a deadly shooting as well as the kidnapping of a woman and a child, according to the Newberry Police Department.
David Ray Clark, a 53-year-old Chapin resident, was charged with multiple crimes following the incident that began on the night of Sept. 4, police said in a news release.
Clark was charged with murder, two counts of kidnapping, possession of a weapon during a violent crime, possession of a firearm by a person convicted of certain crimes, armed robbery and unlawfully placing a child at risk of harm, according to Monday’s release.
The charges stem from an incident that began in Newberry last week, police said. On the morning of Sept. 5, officers responded to a call about a person being shot in the College Park Apartment complex and a woman and child being forced into a vehicle, according to the release.
Officers had to force their way inside the apartment where they found a man’s body on the floor with an apparent gunshot wound, police said. Newberry County Coroner Laura Kneece identified the victim as 53-year-old Pomaria resident Dexter Tobias Gary Sr., a who died at the scene, according to the release.
The Lexington County Sheriff’s Department helped locate Clark and the kidnapping victims in Chapin, police said. Clark was taken back to Newberry by police and members of the Newberry County Sheriff’s Office.
Clark was denied bond and he’s being held in the Newberry County Detention Center, jail records show.
Information on the condition of the kidnapping victims was not available, and no other injuries were reported.
There was no word on Clark’s connection to the victims, or any motive for the shooting.
Despite Clark’s arrest, the shooting continues to be investigated by police, the coroner’s office, the sheriff’s office and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division.
Newberry Police Chief Kevin Goodman asked anyone with information about the homicide to call police at 803-321-1010, Crime Stoppers at 1-888-CRIME-SC, or submit an online tip.
In the case of an emergency, always call 911.
Goodman said that the investigation covered several counties, and thanked members of the police department, Newberry County Sheriff’s Office, SLED and the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department for their hard work.
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This story was originally published September 9, 2025 at 7:58 AM.
