Justice for family of cold case murder victim

Justice will come five-years late, but Historic City News was notified today by State Attorney R. J. Larizza’s Office that the 2007 cold case investigation into the shooting death of 31-year-old Clark Edwin McWhorter will finally close; now that his confessed killer has entered a plea of “no contest” to second degree murder charges.

On January 28, 2007, the body of Clark McWhorter was discovered in the roadway on Coastal Highway in Guana State Park. An autopsy revealed the victim died from a single gunshot wound. Armed with new information gained last year, cold case detectives within the Sheriff Office, assisted by State Attorney Investigators in the Homicide Investigative Unit, were able to obtain a warrant.

Becky Pruitt, the mother of the murder victim, came to St Augustine on August 14, 2012, to share her grief and express her gratitude following word that the crime had been solved and 35-year-old Phillip Carl Pomper, had been taken into custody for the murder of her son.

Detectives learned that Pomper, who lives at 2533 Tempo Drive in Jacksonville, had specific knowledge about McWhorter’s death.

Pomper was located by Jacksonville police officers and the United States Marshal Service, and then questioned by investigators. During an interview, Pomper told investigators that, although he did not know McWhorter, he was involved in McWhorter’s death — leading detectives to believe the murder was completely random and unprovoked.

According to public affairs officer Klare Ly, sentencing for Pomper is tentatively scheduled for July 31st. His sentencing range is 35-years to life in prison.