Norman Clark lives as a free man in the Knoxville, Tennessee, area today. He was twice tried for the December 2011 murders of his pregnant girlfriend, Brittany Eldridge, and their unborn son Ezekiel, and both trials ended in hung juries. In January 2018, Knox County District Attorney Charme Allen announced her office would not seek a third trial, and Clark has never been convicted. He has maintained his innocence throughout.1Knoxville News Sentinel. DA Won’t Seek Third Trial in Slaying of Pregnant Woman, Unborn Son
How He Walked Free
Clark was arrested on May 14, 2014, and charged with first-degree murder in Eldridge’s death and felony murder in the death of their unborn son.2WATE. Man Charged With Killing Pregnant Knoxville Woman Asks Judge to Reduce Bond The state’s case was largely circumstantial. Cellphone analysis placed his phone within a mile of Eldridge’s apartment on the night of the killing, and an FBI analysis showed the phone was turned off at 9:06 p.m. No DNA, fingerprints, or other physical evidence tied him to the scene.3Knoxville News Sentinel. Clark Trial Murder Pregnant Knox County Woman Goes to Jury
His first trial began August 10, 2015, and lasted eight days. The jury deliberated less than 24 hours and split 11 to 1 in favor of acquittal. Judge Steven Sword declared a mistrial.4WATE. Knox County DA Ending Prosecution of Man Accused of Killing Brittany Eldridge After the mistrial, his bail was reduced from $500,000 to $50,000, and he posted it.5Knoxville News Sentinel. Judge Taps Ex-Prosecutor to Take Over Defense in Norman Clark Case
The retrial began in September 2017 before the same judge. This jury of seven women and five men deliberated more than four days, over 17 hours in total, before reporting they were “hopelessly deadlocked.” Judge Sword declared a second mistrial on September 22, 2017. Reporting indicated the split had flipped, with at least ten jurors believed to have voted to convict.6Knoxville News Sentinel. Mistrial Declared in Clark Murder Trial7Knoxville News Sentinel. Dateline NBC Norman Clark Knoxville Accused Killing Pregnant Girlfriend Brittany Eldridge
Why Prosecutors Stopped
On January 25, 2018, District Attorney Charme Allen filed a nolle prosequi, a formal declaration that the state was unwilling to prosecute further. “As difficult as this decision is, I am confident that it is the appropriate one at this time,” Allen said in a statement. “The decision to suspend prosecution, however, does not bar the re-filing of charges if new evidence is obtained.”4WATE. Knox County DA Ending Prosecution of Man Accused of Killing Brittany Eldridge
Defense attorney Kit Rodgers said after the announcement that Clark and his family were “relieved to be able to put this behind him and move on with his life.”1Knoxville News Sentinel. DA Won’t Seek Third Trial in Slaying of Pregnant Woman, Unborn Son
Could Charges Come Back
A nolle prosequi is a suspension, not an acquittal. Under the terms Allen described, the Knox County District Attorney’s office could refile charges against Clark if the Knoxville Police Department uncovers new evidence. No such developments have been publicly reported since the 2018 announcement, and no other suspects have been publicly identified. The murder of Brittany Eldridge and her unborn son remains officially unsolved.1Knoxville News Sentinel. DA Won’t Seek Third Trial in Slaying of Pregnant Woman, Unborn Son
Clark’s Public Statements Since
Clark sat for exclusive interviews with Dateline NBC producers after both trials, maintaining his innocence.7Knoxville News Sentinel. Dateline NBC Norman Clark Knoxville Accused Killing Pregnant Girlfriend Brittany Eldridge Prosecutors tried to obtain those recordings for use as evidence, but a Tennessee appellate court ruled in February 2017 that the state had not met the burden required under Tennessee’s press shield law.8Tennessee Courts. State of Tennessee v. Norman Eugene Clark The Dateline episode, “Deadly Circumstances,” aired on May 19, 2020.9NBC News. Full Episode: Deadly Circumstances
Since then, Clark has kept a low public profile. He has never been convicted of the crime, and unless prosecutors return with new evidence, he remains a free man.