Jury reaches verdict in Coast woman’s murder. ‘This monster took my sister away from me.’

Editor’s note: This story contains depictions of domestic violence. Please read with caution.

Family and friends of Penny Lain Clark cried and sought comfort from one another after a jury Thursday convicted Gary Wayne Wallace of first-degree murder in her killing.

The jury deliberated for about 2 1/2 hours before finding Wallace guilty of Clark’s beating and strangulation death on May 20, 2019, at an apartment the two shared on Judge Sekul Avenue. Biloxi police investigated the case.

“This has to be the hardest thing I’ve ever had to go through (and seeing) ... the pictures of my sister all beaten up,” Penny Clark’s older sister, Carrie Barrett said. “She was my big sister. She never talked ill of anyone. She always had a smile on her face. She never met a stranger. She was always full of life. I could always make her laugh.

“I will never be able to make her laugh again,” she said. “This monster took my sister away from me for no reason. Penny is gone, but we will never forget her, her smile, her life, and the special person she was.”

Judge Christopher Schmidt sentenced Wallace to the mandatory sentence of life in prison after Wallace offered a few words to the judge.

“Your honor, you don’t know how much I want her (Penny Clark) to be here,” he said. Wallace said. “That day, I donated plasma, got intoxicated and ... I don’t recall doing it, to be honest. I wish I was gone instead of her. I have her name tattooed on me. I have prayed for her family for a long time.”

Wallace said he also had plans to marry Penny Clark, but the judge pointed out he had ended any possibility of that just as he had deprived his girlfriend her life and her family of more time with their loved in the days, weeks and years to come.

Harrison County assistant district attorneys Alison Baker and George Huffman prosecuted the case.

“This case was extremely heinous because she suffered multiple blows which would have taken a long time to inflict, and her last glimpse of life was of the man she loved and trusted killing her,” Baker said.

Prior to Clark’s murder, Wallace had been arrested five times on misdemeanor domestic violence charges involving at least four other women. He had only been convicted in one of the misdemeanor domestic violence cases.

“This case was something that touched a chord with me personally because of the domestic violence that came in to play in this case,” Baker said. “I have served on the board of directors for the Gulf Coast Center for Nonviolence several years and through my career in the DA’s Office, we have seen so many domestic violence cases that reach felony level cases.”

Prosecution, defense give closing arguments

In closing arguments earlier Thursday, Huffman started by recounting the timeline of the day that Clark was killed before describing the wounds to Clark’s body in detail.

Clark, 45, was found on the floor of the back bedroom of the couple’s Biloxi apartment, with bruising on her face and body along with blood coming from her nose, mouth and ears.

Huffman brought to the jury’s attention the bruises on Clark’s arms that he said were defensive wounds and blood covering Wallace’s body when police arrived at the scene.

Huffman also took aim at Wallace’s claim that he had left the apartment, walked halfway to the corner store, and then turned around at the time of the murder, calling it “not believable.”

Wallace’s attorneys argued that the state had failed to meet the burden of proof required for conviction and there was reasonable doubt as to whether Wallace killed Clark.

“You don’t see a confession. You didn’t see an eyewitness,” defense attorney Alan Green said.

Defense attorney Phil Wittmann also argued the case was poorly handled by the detectives in charge, saying the police “didn’t do detective work.”

They pointed to blood on knives and sheets found at the scene that had not been tested for DNA. The defense also argued the bruising on Clark’s chest was a result of CPR being performed by Wallace and medical services attempting to save her life.

Wittmann pulled up a picture of Wallace’s hands from the evidence taken the night of his arrest, arguing that there were no real injuries to indicate Wallace had physically assaulted anyone.

Baker pointed out that Wallace’s call to 911 showed he felt guilty about his actions and further his responsibility for the murder. She also noted the intensity of the attack.

“This was an up close and personal attack,” Baker said. “This is a case of very serious consequences.”

Family and friends of the victim filled the courtroom Thursday.

“Penny Clark was a very loved human being,” Huffman said. “That is obvious.”

This story was originally published March 10, 2022 at 3:24 PM.