Booking photo for Teresa R. Clark (Courtesy: Cache County Jail).
LOGAN — A 38-year-old former Millville woman has been sentenced to prison for trying to help another woman attempt suicide multiple times more than two years ago. Teresa R. Clark cried as she expressed remorse for what she’d done.
Judge Angela Fonnesbeck expressed anger with Clark’s lack of accountability. She ordered the maximum sentence, two concurrent terms of 1-15 years in prison, refusing a lesser sentence recommended by probation agents.
Clark was sentenced in 1st District Court Tuesday morning. She previously pleaded guilty to two counts of attempted aggravated murder, a second-degree felony; and, two counts of aggravated cruelty to an animal, a class A misdemeanor.
In June 2017, Clark called 911 from a Logan hotel room. She told police that she had found her friend unresponsive inside the room. Officers later determined that the defendant had tried to help the woman take her life several times unsuccessfully.
Inside the hotel room, detectives also found two dogs that were deceased. They later learned that Clark had killed the animals.
The case was delayed for several years, partly because the victim died from an unrelated matter. It was also postponed again so Clark could undergo a mental health evaluation. She was later determined competent to stand trial.
During Tuesday’s sentencing, public defender Mike McGinnis explained that the victim was sad and depressed. He said, “I’m not justifying what [Clark] did. I believe it was a mutual decision. The victim wanted to die.”
Cache County Deputy Attorney Tony Baird said Clark didn’t want to help the victim. He described how she was conniving and tried to kill the victim with a lethal overdose of prescription pills, out of greed for her money. He also explained how she tried to purchase a handgun so the victim could use it to shoot herself.
Clark admitted what she did was wrong and wished she could take it back. She asked the court for probation instead of incarceration, explaining that she wanted to move on with her life and put this behind her.
Judge Fonnesbeck said whether the victim wanted to commit suicide or not, Clark played a role in what happened. She ordered her to be taken into custody immediately and transferred to the Utah State Prison.
will@cvradio.com