Three suspects have been arrested in connection with the murder of a Good Samaritan who was lured to his death by a stranger claiming to be having car trouble.
Paul Clifford, 53, was discovered dead next to a burning car on Christmas Eve, just hours after a man rang the doorbell at his family’s southern Arizona home and requested assistance with his vehicle.
Jack Daryl Upchurch, 40, Elmer Glenn Smith, 19, and Wendy Scott, 16, were arrested Monday night after a SWAT standoff, according to KVOA-TV.
All three suspects were charged with first-degree murder in connection with Clifford’s death, as well as a slew of other charges such as armed robbery and arson of an occupied building.
Upchurch and Smith are each being held on a $1 million bond, with Scott’s bond set at $500,000.
Sabrina Vining, one of Clifford’s two daughters, has been outspoken on social media about the situation. She issued a statement Tuesday night praising the efforts of police.
‘We are devastated by what has happened, but we are grateful that they have these vile people in custody, and we intend to do everything we can to ensure they are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,’ she said in a statement to KOLD-TV.
She also took to Facebook to thank law enforcement for ‘working diligently’ on Clifford’s case.
A man approached Clifford’s family home in Benson, about 45 miles outside of Tucson, late on December 23, claiming his car had broken down.
Clifford, whose family describes him as generous, took his daughter’s truck and left with the stranger at 11.30 p.m. to help. When he did not return home after several hours, his family became concerned and called 911.
Pima County Sheriff’s deputies responded to reports of suspicious activity, possibly related to a vehicle theft investigation, around 1 a.m. on December 24.
Clifford’s body was discovered on a desolate stretch of road northeast of Tucson, next to a smoldering car. The victim’s vehicle was missing from the scene.
Deputies described the remote location as ‘nearly impossible’ to reach without specialized vehicles.
‘It’s very far, very remote, and getting there requires a specific vehicle. Deputy Adam Schoonover of the Pima County Sheriff’s Department said, “I believe you can get there in a two-wheel vehicle, but it will be very slow.”
Later that day, police discovered Clifford’s truck abandoned at an apartment complex in Tucson, between Prince Road and Roger Road.
Investigators received information that the suspects were possibly in south Tucson, near Benson Highway and Country Club.
On Monday, December 30, detectives obtained a search warrant, which was served at the location by the regional SWAT team.
The suspects barricaded themselves inside the home, resulting in a standoff, before calling 911 to negotiate a surrender. Police claim they were arrested without incident.
Police have not released any information about Clifford’s murder motive.
Vining, who has been updating the public on the case, described her father as a ‘gentle giant’ with a compassionate heart.
‘We are devastated. He was the type of man who would do anything for anyone, and this is how he was rewarded,’ she wrote on a GoFundMe page to help her bereaved family.
‘I’m devastated for my mother and am doing everything I can to help her through this unbearable pain.
‘I am doing everything I can to help my mother. Any assistance is greatly appreciated and not expected; people have reached out, and I want to make sure my mother is taken care of because that is what my father would have wanted,’ Vining added.
Nearly $25,000 has been raised to help the family through this difficult time.
