We're pulling apart Arthur Jackson's spotlight-hogging tales and taking a closer look at the sensationalized press coverage of the murder of Melvin Clark, Jr. The existence of 'the set', a rumored partner-swapping club, adds another twisted layer to this complex story. As we sift through newfound evidence, including a bundle of blood-stained clothing, we begin to question whose narrative is the reality. Former Chief of Police John F. Hethermen even ran a parallel investigation, adding more intrigue. We wrap up with a glimpse into Lorraine's life post-release, where she faced the challenge of a new identity amidst legal complications.
For images related to the cases, check out the Instagram.
We're pulling apart Arthur Jackson's spotlight-hogging tales and taking a closer look at the sensationalized press coverage of the murder of Melvin Clark, Jr. The existence of 'the set', a rumored partner-swapping club, adds another twisted layer to this complex story. As we sift through newfound evidence, including a bundle of blood-stained clothing, we begin to question whose narrative is the reality. Former Chief of Police John F. Hethermen even ran a parallel investigation, adding more intrigue. We wrap up with a glimpse into Lorraine's life post-release, where she faced the challenge of a new identity amidst legal complications.
For images related to the cases, check out the Instagram.
Uh hello. This is Julia, and murder is bad Music. Playing the End of the Story by Julia. You know the characters Lorraine Clark, mel Clark and Arthur Jackson. Mel went missing, presumed of his own volition, right after a huge fight with his wife, lorraine. For an entire year prior to that, lorraine and Arthur had been carrying on an affair, and now that Lorraine had confessed to Mel's murder and been in the Align Light, arthur was seemingly jealous, because what he does next puts the spotlight squarely on him. Let's set the scene.
Speaker 1:A big movie in 1954 was the Fast and the Furious. No, vin Diesel is not that old. This one had John Ireland and Dorothy Malone. The whole franchise is very loosely based off of this film. People are also getting inoculated against polio with the Jonas Salk vaccine, and colored televisions are starting to be sold. 1954, it was also the year of Brown v the Board of Education, when racial segregation of children in public schools was declared unconstitutional. No dip.
Speaker 1:So after Arthur spouts the tale of him and Lorraine, complete with lurid details, chief of Police Edmund McLaughlin kicked him out of the police station. Arthur then went to reporters to complain that no one really appreciated what a great lover he was. He went on to talk about Lorraine, saying that he might even want to marry her now since she's free in a sort of way. Arthur told of his double dates with the Clarks when they first met. He said how he and Lorraine occasionally went out but mostly stayed in, and how at least six couples in Lorraine's social set participated in open adultery. This is the only context the set is used. If you remember from the first part of this series, the towns of Amesbury and Newburyport were abuzz with rumors of a partner-swapping club called the set. But as is with most sensational stories, it seems like the details have been sensationalized. It was just a group of Lorraine's friends and if they did anything like partner-swapping that would fall under the category of their business and would not necessarily be pertinent to Mel's murder.
Speaker 1:But in the 1950s a woman's piety was tantamount to evidence of innocence. Around this time a letter signed the 10 mothers implored that action be taken to clean up the Amesbury immorality and put an end to these wife-swapping parties. The mother of whom, I wonder Lorraine also took a lie detector which led an officer to say Her answers as registered by the machine led us to believe she should be questioned more pointedly. I don't know what that means, but it definitely doesn't sound like a slam dunk for the prosecution or the defense. Up until this point most of the story had only been covered by local towns, boston and a few blurbs in the New York Daily News.
Speaker 1:But now that Arthur had started talking to the media, newspapers all over the country started covering the case. The dramatized article I found in the March 1959 issue of Cosmopolitan said that the newspapers called Arthur Jackson a blabbermouth, kiss and tell a boastful bow and lover boy. To this Arthur said man, you don't know what this case has done for me. I can hardly fight the girls off. Sorry, I should have done a warning of gagging sounds, because that's all you're going to get with Arthur Jackson. Arthur also put out his version of events, which was that Lorraine tried calling him around 3 am but he was in bed thrusting with another woman who confirmed his alibi. But officers hardly bought that, especially when Merrimack Police Chief Morris Carey said that they found a bundle of bloodied clothing which matched the clothes described by Arthur a sheet, a pillowcase and a woman's hairbrush. Police are now saying that they know that two other people helped Arthur and one of Lorraine's family members. Then Arthur had the audacity to ask for his car back because the police had impounded it to check for evidence. Chief McLaughlin kicked him out again and said I don't want to see him. No only time. Me and Chief McLaughlin agree.
Speaker 1:Lorraine's mother, alberta Eaton, visited her at the Salem Jail and convinced her that she is innocent in all of this and should fight to prove it. I really genuinely think that Lorraine held so much guilt for having carried on an affair that she thought it was just to be punished for his murder. But I do not believe that she actually murdered him. But what do I know? What do I know? Lorraine said that she believed she was innocent and would tell all of the nitty gritties during her trial. Someone else questioning Lorraine's guilt was former Chief of Police John F Heatherman, who just so happened to be the Clark's neighbor at Lake Attotash. The 65-year-old was conducting a parallel investigation because he wasn't satisfied with the current circumstantial evidence. But anything he found he turned directly over to the District Attorney's Office.
Speaker 1:Another part of Lorraine's confession was released a few days before what would have been her and Mel's 10th wedding anniversary on July 8, 1954. Lorraine said she hated Mel bitterly because he was an over-enthusiastic mate who had never shown any regard for her own feelings. He acted only to satisfy himself and forced indignities upon her. This woman went through something. I'm not saying murder is okay, but someone get her story. The next day, a woman named Sally Waxman from Brooklyn offered her opinion on the situation, which was featured in New York's Daily News. She said that Lorraine's sex life should be left out of it. Quote as for those kiss and tell jerks she ran around with, why don't they either shut up or drop dead? Thank you, sally. Thank you.
Speaker 1:In the same week, 23-year-old widow Constance Keane came forward and said that Arthur Jackson told her that he had killed Mel Clark Jr back on April 10th. Originally Arthur wasn't named, though he had even asked another couple to be his alibi. Constance repeated what Arthur had told her. Mel had come home early and found Arthur with Lorraine. Mel grabbed one of his guns and said you've beaten me at everything, even with my wife, but you won't get the best of me anymore. Arthur told Lorraine to leave, which she did. The men struggled, mel getting shot. In the process, mel broke a bottle which Arthur grabbed and stabbed into Mel's chest. Mel fled and Arthur threw an iron pipe at him. It hit him at the base of his neck and Mel fell dead. Arthur wrapped Mel in his navy coat before he and Lorraine disposed of the body. Arthur, of course, retracted this version of events when officers questioned him In September, a closed grand jury hearing was presided over by Judge Charles Fairhurst.
Speaker 1:Mel's mother, blanche Clark, told reporters that she didn't believe that Lorraine was guilty. District Attorney Hugh Craig was aided by his son, assistant District Attorney Donald Craig. Also in attendance at the courthouse was one of the women accused of being the part of the set, lorraine's friend Nancy Blood. But she wasn't there for Lorraine's hearing. She was there for her own divorce proceedings. On September 17th the grand jury indicted Lorraine Clark on first degree murder charges and her trial was set for November 29th. Two weeks later Arthur was indicted on four counts of adultery with Lorraine and two counts of adultery with another woman. He had been estranged from his wife, shirley Jackson, since the previous summer, but she was finally bringing divorce actions against Arthur for cruel and abusive treatment. She told reporters that she didn't know he was going around on her. She was leaving him on account of the abuse.
Speaker 1:On November 29, 1954, the much anticipated trial of Lorraine Clark started. Five hundred people thronged around the outside of the courthouse. Judge Fairhurst entered the room and brought it into session and as soon as he sat down, lorraine's attorney, c Francis Leary, stood and said over my wishes, my client pleads guilty to second degree murder. Lorraine was found guilty of secondary murder at twelve sixteen pm, seven months after Mel Clark Jr had been murdered. She was sentenced to life with the possibility of parole after fifteen years. In talking about the other possible people involved, one writer said it was still the woman who paid.
Speaker 1:Lorraine joined two other lifers at the women's reformatory in Framingham. Twenty-six year old Mildred McDonald had shot the little sister of her ex-boyfriend, mary DeRocco. Mildred had been steady with this man for three years until he up and married another person. Mary teased Mildred about how happy he was with his new wife and Mildred shot her. And then there was sixty year old Victoria Lefevre, who admitted to poisoning her third husband but was suspected of murdering her first two husbands as well. When asked why she pleaded guilty, lorraine said I want to protect my mother and father, mr and Mrs Clark, and most of all I want to protect my three small children from any more of the shameful notoriety that has attended this case throughout the nation. After sentencing, her first question was when can I see my children? The kids had been told that their mother was in a hospital. She didn't want them to see her behind bars. The women's reformatory that she would be at did not have bars, though, so she was looking forward to finally visiting with them.
Speaker 1:The next day, arthur Jackson was brought before Judge Fairhurst. Arthur called Lorraine emotionally immature and that he taught her how to love. He also said that he went after married women because they're prettier and I like the danger. But when it seemed things were not going his way, the 23-year-old bawled and whined. At one point he stood up in the middle and pointed at Judith Whitcock, saying what about the other charge? Why don't we talk about that? She's here in the courtroom now. Judith was the other woman he was charged with committing adultery with. She was never charged, thank goodness.
Speaker 1:The chief of police, along with other high-ranking officers, testified to every gross thing he ever bragged about. Da Craig said he was responsible, if not directly, then indirectly, for the death of Melvin Clark Jr. Arthur broke down into your saying Maybe. I kissed her once or twice. He pleaded, but that was all. Judge Fairhurst said I don't believe you. In reference to the conduct of this man, he can take a large measure of the responsibility for wrecking that family. That girl is going to be doing penance for a long time. I feel he should do penance for a long time and that is what is going to happen to him. The judge then handed down the maximum three one-year sentences for three counts of adultery to be served consecutively. The next year, da Craig got a gold watch for the official detective award given away by a radio show.
Speaker 1:The trial of Lurin Clark for the murder of her husband, mel Clark Jr, was listed as the fifth biggest story of 1954, which doesn't seem as high as something so sensationalized. Later on, I also found out that in 2010, computer programmer William Tunstall-Pedot made a program to identify the most boring day in the world. Do you know what day? It came back with? April 11, 1954. I suppose in the grand scheme of world history in the 20th century, one death, even a murder, isn't as interesting as we make it out to be. In 1955, reporter for the Boston traveler, jack O'Shea, started to dive deeper into the Clark case. The police and district attorney's office seemed absolutely certain that at least two, and probably three people were involved that night in April, when speaking to Arthur Jackson's attorney, arthur Bullanger, he was surprised to hear that Jackson wanted Bullanger to pass along his version of events, which had changed yet again Now. He said that Lurin was ringing his doorbell to his apartment at 2.30 that morning of April 11th and just said well, it's happened. After explaining about the murder, arthur Jackson went to the cottage, covered Mel's body in a trench coat and tied weights around him. He sat in between Lurin and the body as Lurin drove to the Rocks Village Bridge. They dumped the body and went back to clean. Arthur then gathered the incriminating evidence into a bundle and tossed it into Plug Pond in Haverhill where he was living, including the 25 caliber pistol that was used In 1956, they tried to indict Arthur Jackson for murder.
Speaker 1:Lorraine was speaking out saying that Arthur was the killer and that it was his clothes in the bundle of incriminating evidence. She said I was sick of covering up the mess now that I wasn't protected. I didn't care if he got away with it so long as what I had done didn't come out, but he didn't protect me. We would have rather been known as a murderer than an adulterer. Lorraine said that Arthur had stopped by for a drink with the clerks and had said some unsavory things about Lorraine. When Mel said he didn't like the way he was speaking about her, the men started to fight. Mel drew a weapon and Arthur was able to get it from him and shoot. Lorraine helped dispose of the body and clean up Before they dumped Mel's body in the Merrimack River. Arthur used an ice pick to poke several holes in Mel's chest to ensure his body sank.
Speaker 1:Detectives never really sorted out the weapons. They thought for a while that a.22 caliber pistol was used, but they presented a.32 caliber weapon to Lorraine and said it was the murder weapon. Arthur said it was a.25 caliber weapon in reality and the stab wounds are attributed to an ice pick for the longest time, until they pull a knitting needle from the river. Then they start to say that Lorraine shot her husband and in a fury also stabbed him in the heart with one of her knitting needles. Lorraine described gloves that Arthur had been wearing that night. One of them had a tear on the index finger and had been stitched. And sure enough, when Plugpond was searched they found a glove matching that description, along with a torn piece of shirt. The woman who had told police Arthur was with her during the murder came forward and said she had lied. Arthur had approached her and coaxed her into being his alibi. On May 25, 1956, with all that evidence, a grand jury refused to indict Arthur Jackson. They then asked if he'll try again To get an indictment. Da Craig said the case is closed. I have a confession. Arthur was released in January 1957. Following his release, all other indictments that had been prepared by the DA's office pertaining to the Clark case were dropped. This started a weird rivalry between the DA and the attorney general, george Fingold, who believed others should have been held responsible for Mel's murder In July of 1957, people get up in arms over certain aspects of the women's reformatory in Framingham, and by people I mean a couple Republican representatives.
Speaker 1:There were rumors that Lorraine got special treatment, like Sunday drives and weekend furloughs. Matron Margaret O'Keefe and prison psychologist Dr Miriam Van Waters correct the record and stand up for the work they did at the reformatory. In the winters there's a house on the grounds that Lorraine used to visit her children. In the spring they drove to a pavilion also on the grounds. The workers at the reformatory called the 178 women. They housed students and they truly believed they were working to reform them. It was an immaculately clean facility. The women were allowed to wear whatever they wanted and they got paid 15 to 30 cents a day for whatever jobs they did and they would put on performances of different plays and operas for each other. Matron O'Keefe said that Lorraine was the finest girl they had, a natural leader Talking about how she wrote to her children once a week. Social worker Pauline Orrell said she makes a point to only talk about the pleasant things the reformatory gardens and the animals. She went on to say Mrs Clark is an intelligent girl but more than that, she has a special brand of courage. In the face of great tragedy she has always managed to keep cheerful. Lorraine worked in the education office helping other women learn to read and write, as well as in the greenhouses.
Speaker 1:Lorraine began her bid for commutation of her sentence in 1960. In October she presented a petition signed by several people, including Mel's parents. Chief of police Edmund McLaughlin said she had withheld the complete truth. Mel Clark Sr retorted. Now that the chief has seen fit to bring out part of the story, I think he should tell it all. I've always felt she didn't do it alone and I'm still convinced of it. Lorraine tried again in September of 1961, but was denied again. In December 1962, lorraine finally won a hearing for the possibility of a shorter sentence and ability to be released on parole as soon as possible. Her mother, alberta, had gotten over 200 signatures on a petition for release.
Speaker 1:On April 10th 1963, exactly nine years to the day after Mel Clark Jr was murdered, lorraine Clark was released on parole and was able to share Easter Sunday with her family. As she left, the women at the reformatory waved goodbye and wished her good luck. Lorraine was handed a check with her earnings after eight years. It was $330.96, which is around $3,300 in today's money. She told matron Betty Colesmith I can't thank you enough. I'll write often. I am a better person for coming here.
Speaker 1:Lorraine then joined her parents and two teenage daughters in the car and drove off, followed by her attorney and her teenage son, to the house that Mel's parents had provided for the whole family to live in and they were able to get a job and they kind of just went on with their normal lives. Lorraine was in a couple articles. She got to go to her daughter's graduation. Shortly after her release the townspeople kind of put out an article telling all outside reporters to just leave Lorraine alone. She was involved in like a court case because somebody stole one of her rings and she was also given a warning for drinking and hanging out with the wrong kinds of people.
Speaker 1:But you know, at some point she did get married or change her name. I couldn't find out, but in her obituary in 2021, when she died late into her 90s, she had a different name and that's it. That's the whole shebang. If you're interested in seeing images related to this episode, head over to the Instagram at Murder Is Bad podcast. Thank you for listening to this series. Take care of each other and remember murder is bad, god bless.