Stone Mountain Man Convicted of Murder, Arson, and Kidnapping

DeKalb County District Attorney Sherry Boston announced the conviction of Gerald Jerome Clark, a 44-year-old resident of Stone Mountain, following a jury trial. Clark was found guilty of a series of charges, including Malice Murder, two counts of Felony Murder, Arson in the First Degree, Kidnapping, and several others. These charges stem from the murder of Mary Kilpatrick, 27, on September 26, 2020.

The case unfolded when the DeKalb County Fire Rescue Department responded to a car fire on Fieldgreen Circle in Stone Mountain. Upon extinguishing the flames, responders discovered a body in the trunk of the vehicle, later identified as Kilpatrick through DNA analysis. An autopsy revealed she was still alive when the fire started.

Investigation revealed surveillance footage from a local motel, showing Clark with Kilpatrick shortly before the incident. Witnesses recounted Clark driving Kilpatrick’s car to a friend’s residence, where sounds of distress from the trunk prompted confrontation. Clark brandished a firearm, but intervention prevented him from shooting before he fled.

Clark then sought gasoline from his cousin to burn the car, without disclosing Kilpatrick’s presence. After briefly stopping to fire into the trunk, he set the vehicle ablaze on Fieldgreen Circle and departed the scene.

In the aftermath of the trial, DeKalb County Superior Court Judge Asha F. Jackson sentenced Clark to life imprisonment without parole, along with an additional 25 years.

The prosecution, led by Senior Assistant District Attorney Jennifer Scacco with support from Senior Assistant District Attorney Reid White, District Attorney Investigator Antoine Winston, and Victim Advocate Christy Palmer, was assigned to the Homicide and Gangs Unit. DeKalb County Police Department Detective Collins spearheaded the initial investigation.