La Vernia mother’s killer gets seven years in prison

Gary Frank Clark COURTESY

After more than 14 years since a woman was found dead in her home near La Vernia, her husband has been sentenced to prison.

Judge Russell Wilson of the 218th Judicial District in Wilson County District Court on Jan. 24 convicted 68-year-old Gary Frank Clark of manslaughter with a deadly weapon, before sentencing him to serve seven years in Texas Department of Criminal Justice custody. This was after Clark pled no contest in September 2023 to the July 19, 2009, death of his wife, Sylvia Perez Clark. He initially had been charged with first-degree murder, which carries a sentence of up to 99 years in prison. (See “Sylvia Clark’s killer makes plea deal,” Sept. 20, 2023, Wilson County News.)

Wilson also ordered that Clark would be taken into custody in the courtroom and transported to the Wilson County Jail, where he awaited transfer into Texas Department of Criminal Justice custody. Prior to being placed in handcuffs, Clark heard victim impact statements read by Sylvia’s sister, Hortensia Villarreal, and niece Melissa Ann Villarreal.

Sylvia Perez Clark WCN FILE PHOTO

The women approached the front of the courtroom and stood about 9 feet from Clark, who was averting their gaze by hanging his head.

“Gary! Gary!” Hortensia Villarreal called out, causing Clark to raise his head and look at her.

In addition to recalling how deeply loved Sylvia was and how her absence has left a void in the lives of those she touched, Hortensia told her sister’s killer, “Not only did you cause us from making more memories together, you took the wonderful memories my sister and her son, Justin, were going to make. My Justin was only 8 years old when you killed his mother.”

Hortensia added, “Justin was Sylvia’s life and her whole world. You took away the opportunities my sister would have to see Justin finish his elementary school years, junior high school years of dances and sports, his first puppy love, his first kiss, his first heartbreak, his high school years of prom and graduation, the letters of all the colleges wanting him, his graduation from Texas A&M. You took away the time she would have experienced hearing Justin say, ‘Mom, I want to marry her!’ and her meeting her grandbabies.”

But that bond was ripped apart when Sylvia was killed. District Attorney Audrey Louis of the 81st Judicial District said Sylvia that weekend sent Justin for a sleepover at a friend’s house. Sylvia had planned to tell Gary Clark that she wanted a divorce because she was in love with another man.

“All you had to do was be a man and divorce her,” Hortensia Villarreal said. “But instead you beat her up, hit her head with a frying pan, and then strangled her. How cold-hearted could you be to do that to the mother of your son, Justin?”

After her mother spoke, Melissa Villarreal read remarks from family.

“The justice system has failed us,” she said. “After 14 years of investigation, you’re only getting seven years in prison. People who sell drugs and commit DWIs spend more time in prison.”

Medina County assistant district attorneys Julie Solis and Scott Simpson served as special prosecutors on the case. In a statement, Solis said after the court proceedings that given Clark’s age and the evidence collected in the investigation, the sentence was sufficient for achieving some justice for Sylvia’s family.

“Given the defendant’s age of 68 years, we felt that a seven years prison sentence would achieve some justice and closure for the victim’s family,” Solis said. “In light of the fact that two key witnesses have passed away over the years, the State did not want to risk the possibility of a jury finding Mr. Clark not guilty. Additionally, if the jury would have found ‘sudden passion,’ the range of punishment would be drastically reduced.”

She added, “As part of the sentence, Mr. Clark waived all appeals. Given the totality of the circumstances, we feel that an appropriate result was achieved.”

In addition to Clark’s time in prison — from which he was credited six days for time served — he must pay court costs and a $10,000 fine.

Hortensia Villarreal also told Clark that he should be glad that her and Sylvia’s father was not alive to know what he did, and she expressed sadness that their mother died before justice was rendered.

“I hope you are haunted day and night in your cell by Sylvia, my mom, and my dad,” Hortensia Villarreal said. “I will never forgive you.”

When Wilson directed a bailiff to place Clark in handcuffs before removing him from the courtroom, many in the audience applauded and cheered. Among the cacophony, Hortensia Villarreal could be heard saying, “It’s over.”

wgibbs@wcn-online.com