Published: June 26, 2008 10:59 pm      

Clark's search comes up empty

BEDFORD — Murder suspect Joseph W. Clark never found a supposed piece of evidence he needed when the court allowed him to make an unusual visit home last week.

It was revealed at trial Thursday that the 49-year-old former iron worker was unable to locate a receipt he said would provide him with an alibi for the night Holly Notestine was kidnapped and murdered.

Clark said the paper showed he was at a convenience store in Warfordsburg at 8:09 p.m. that day: April 30, 2000.

Police maintain he stopped at the store perhaps as early as 6:30 p.m.

They say it gave him plenty of time to take a back road to the Clearville area, grab Notestine, stab her, dump her remains on property belonging to John Price and drive less than two miles to his home on Route 26.

Clark’s mother, Eunice Clark, testified Wednesday her son was home at between 8:48 and 8:50 p.m. the night of the crime.

The document was signed by two clerks at the store, Clark told the Dauphin County jury hearing the case.

The Bedford County sheriff’s department took Clark to his home, outside of Everett, for about an hour following testimony Saturday. The visit came with the approval of Judge Daniel Howsare.

Clark spent all day Thursday on the stand beginning at 8:30 a.m. with questioning by defense attorney Thomas Crawford.

The questioning centered on his life as an iron worker; his relationship with his fiancee, Joan Baum; his visits to the farm of Notestine and her partner, Ronald Grubb; and details of the night the 25-year-old mother vanished.

Much of the questioning involved Clark’s recollection of the fire that destroyed his car six hours later and the police investigation that soon evolved into questions about Notestine.

Clark denied knowing Notestine on anything but a remote basis. He also denied being attracted to her.

“I never talked to her more than two times,” he said.

Clark admitted to drinking beer and smoking marijuana cigarettes on the day of the murder. He denied ever asking Grubb about Grubb’s daily visits to a nearby farm to care for calves and cows, disputing testimony last week that he sought details about Grubb’s schedule.

Clark said the last time he was at the farm was four or five days prior to Notestine’s kidnapping. And, despite the longtime friendship between the two men, Clark never went back after Notestine disappeared as advised by his attorney.

Clark was charged with the murder in April 2005.

He also denied ever being on Price’s land.

“They are a big clan of loggers. They drink, and they fight. There’s no way I’d go there,” he said.

Clark also denied that Notestine’s children referred to him as “Tiny.”

Notestine’s son Logan, then 4, watched as his mother was forced into a car by a man he said looked like “Tiny.” Logan testified last week that was a nickname for Clark, a man of large stature.

Bedford County District Attorney William Higgins began his cross-examination at 4:30 Thursday and what followed was an hour and 15 minutes of firestorm.

Clark became combative and often nonresponsive. On 18 occasions during a brief time he responded to Higgins’ questions, he said he did not recall.

Higgins was warned by Howsare to stop yelling at the defendant.