Jurors reach verdict in Aryan Brotherhood member’s 2019 Richland slaying
A 29-year-old Aryan Brotherhood member was convicted Friday of fatally shooting a man at a Richland apartment complex nearly three years ago.
The jury returned a guilty verdict on the sole count of first-degree murder against Kyle A. Johnson-Clark.
Johnson-Clark, who lived in one of the apartments, claimed he shot at Daniel S. Rice in self defense.
The 30-year-old West Richland victim was shot in the back, the back of the arm and the back of the head.
Johnson-Clark’s trial in Benton County Superior Court lasted two weeks. Following the verdict, he was ordered held without bail until sentencing.
The prison sentence to be considered by Judge Dave Petersen also will include second-degree unlawful possession of a 9mm handgun and possessing a stolen firearm.
Johnson-Clark admitted the two felonies at the start of the trial during the jury selection process.
A post on the Benton County Prosecutor’s Office’s Facebook page Friday thanked Prosecutor Andy Miller and Chief Criminal Deputy Prosecutor Julie Long “for the long hours and weekends they worked in preparing the case to achieve justice for Daniel Rice.”
“Mr. Rice’s family expressed special gratitude to the Prosecutor’s Office after the verdict,” the post continued.
“The twelve jurors praised the work of the Richland Police Department. They were impressed by the thoroughness of the investigation, the professionalism of the officers, and the expert use of new technology including the FARO (laser scanner) to document the crime scene.”
The prosecutor’s post said Sgts. Hyrum Stohel and Luke Flohr and Detective Matt Nelson led the investigation.
Apartment parking lot
Rice reportedly “had a relationship” with Johnson-Clark’s girlfriend and may have been at the Columbia Park Apartments on May 3, 2019, to see her.
The two had used methamphetamine together while she was dating Johnson-Clark, according to court documents.
When the woman told her boyfriend, Johnson-Clark, that Rice was in the parking lot of the Jadwin Avenue apartment complex, Johnson-Clark grabbed his gun and ran downstairs.
A short time later he fired at Rice as the victim tried to run away, according to documents.
Rice died at Kadlec Regional Medical Center in Richland with his mother by his side.
Richland detectives later found Johnson-Clark’s gun tossed into the Columbia River near the Snyder Boat Launch in Leslie Groves Park. The slide was forward, indicating the magazine was still partially loaded.
The remaining 9mm ammunition in the magazine matched the empty casings at the shooting scene.
A second, full magazine was found in nearby brush where Johnson-Clark had been seen walking after the shooting, said police.
Johnson-Clark allegedly told his girlfriend to tell police he had been in Spokane during the shooting, court documents said.
Then, after hearing a witness reported seeing him at the apartments that day, Johnson-Clark told his girlfriend to say Rice had a gun and shot at Johnson-Clark first, documents said.
Investigators previously said that no weapon was found on Rice.
Johnson-Clark was arrested two months later in St. Louis, Mo., and returned to Washington.
