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Chapter 6

April 3, 1995

The day began with two important telephone calls: Detective Lloyd Herndon called Richard Clark and scheduled him for a polygraph test that afternoon. In turn, Clark placed a call to half brother Elza Clark. The topic of conversation: bloodstains in Richard Clark’s van.

Ask Elza Clark how Richard and he are related, and his reply will be as blunt as a bottle and equally reflective. “I dunno. He supposedly is my dad’s child. I’ve known him all my life, and he’s almost like a brother.” Elza saw Richard Clark on Friday, March 31, 1995, at about noon.

“I was living with my folks. I lived with them for twenty-one years. I had just got up,” recalled Elza. “I wasn’t feeling good because I had a hangover, and I had been sick for about three days. Richard wanted me to go out with him, but I didn’t want to go because I just got paid. I figured he just wanted to go out drinking on my money. Anyway, on Monday, April third, Richard calls on the telephone and said if anybody like the detectives or anybody called, to lie about bloodstains in the van and say that they came from a poached deer.”

Poaching deer was illegal. Were Elza to tell police, “Oh, I poached a deer and got blood on the inside of Richard’s van,” he would be confessing to a criminal act. Elza refused his half brother’s request.

“I told Richard I wasn’t gonna lie for nobody,” said Elza, although he acknowledged that Richard and he had poached numerous deer over the years, and that he had poached one only a few days earlier.

“That day, April third, Richard Clark came to the police department right on time, as promised,” confirmed Herndon, “and he gave a further statement to Detective Kiser in addition to the one he gave at his aunt Carol’s house.”

“I have known Tim Iffrig and his wife, Gail, for about two and a half years,” Clark stated to the detective. “About a week ago, Tim and I planned a camping trip. It was the kind of deal where whoever wanted to go could. On March 31, 1995, Friday, I was over at Tim’s house putting together our supplies. I left about six-thirty P.M., after being there about two hours. I gave Tim’s mom, Neila D’alexander, a ride into north Everett. My half brother, Jim Miller, was with me.”

In complete contradiction of known facts, Richard Clark told detectives that Jimmy Miller and he “went back out to Tim’s place, arriving at about nine P.M. We picked Tim up and went to the Amber Light Tavern, where we drank some beer and shot some pool. We were gone about an hour. We went back to Tim’s and dropped him off. I took Jim out to his girlfriend Lisa’s house on the reservation.

“I then met up with Neila at the Dog House Tavern in Everett,” stated Clark. “I got back out to Tim’s place about quarter to one. At about one A.M., I was talking to Tim and Gail, and I told her who all was going on the camping trip, including my aunt Vicki. Vicki and Tim had an affair in the past and Gail knew it. She told Tim that he had better buy some rubbers. She didn’t seem upset and I didn’t see them arguing.

“He and I went to his neighbors’ house, Pat and Shawn, where we stayed partying until about six A.M. We went back to Tim’s house, picked up his camping gear. I remember his son coming out of his bedroom and Tim going into his own bedroom. We left and went looking for Neila, but couldn’t find her. We went out to the reservation and picked up Jim Miller, his girlfriend, Lisa, and my aunt Vicki. We made it out to the campsite about two-thirty P.M. About two and a half hours later, Gail and Kim and Bill showed up and told us about the missing girl.”

Keep in mind: No one is ever obligated to answer questions by the police, the FBI, or any law enforcement officer. No one is obligated to consent to a search of his or her person or property.

It makes no difference if one is under arrest or not—no American is obligated to even show identification unless they are operating a motor vehicle, or in an establishment that serves alcoholic beverages. The Everett Police Department was not serving alcohol, and Richard Clark was not driving during his interview.

It was at about 10:30 A.M. that Special Agent Ray Lauer of the FBI interviewed Clark in preparation for the polygraph test. The interview took place on the third floor of the Everett Police Department in a little room about ten square feet. The door to the room was unlocked during the interview, and Agent Lauer was not wearing any type of uniform and did not display a weapon.

Clark was told that he was not under arrest and that he was free to leave anytime. Agent Lauer went through a “consent to interview with polygraph form” with Clark, and he also advised him of his Miranda rights using a preprinted form. Clark read the rights form aloud.

The form indicated that Clark had the following rights: he had the right to remain silent; anything he said could be used against him in court; he had the right to talk to a lawyer for advice before questioning and that to have a lawyer with him during questioning and that if he could not afford a lawyer, one would be appointed for him before questioning, if he wished; and that he had the right to stop answering questions anytime.