Iowan says innocent of throwing ex-lover into Arkansas river

An Iowa man accused of tying his ex-girlfriend to a cinder block and throwing her into the Spring River near Hardy earlier this year pleaded innocent Tuesday to attempted murder and kidnapping charges.

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Jerry Dean Clark, 45, of Glenwood, Iowa, entered his plea in Sharp County Circuit Court in Ash Flat. Circuit Judge Harold Erwin of Newport ordered Clark to undergo a mental evaluation before he is tried.

Clark is being held in the Sharp County jail in Ash Flat in lieu of a $250,000 bond, said Sharp County Circuit Court Clerk Tommy Estes.

According to police, Clark abducted Kathryn Lynn Jones, 44, of Hardy at the Days Inn Hotel in Hardy on April 20. Clark drove Jones to Griffin Park in Cherokee Village and hit her several times, police said.

The two then drove to a liquor store in Hardy, bought beer and returned to the park where Clark told Jones to help pitch a tent and blow up an inflatable mattress, according to reports.

Sharp County sheriff's detective Jimmy Bennett said in an arrest affidavit filed in Sharp County Circuit Court that Clark tied a rope around Jones to restrain her. Clark then tied a concrete cinder block to the rope and threw Jones into the Spring River, Bennett said.

Jones crawled back out of the river, but Clark then tied her to a tree using plastic ties and hit her with his fists and a bottle, police said.

Jones told authorities that she chewed through the ties and escaped, jumping into the river. She floated downstream about 2 miles before she crawled ashore and called for medical attention.

Clark was arrested April 22 as he drove through Violet Hill in Izard County. Deputies stopped him at 2:19 a.m. on suspicion of driving while intoxicated. They noticed blood on Clark's clothing, and detectives later matched a boot Clark was wearing with a print where Jones was thrown into the river, police said.

Prosecuting Attorney Henry Boyce of Newport said Tuesday that he spoke with witnesses and was ready to try Clark. He said he could not comment further on the case because it is pending.

Clark will be tried in Sharp County Circuit Court in Ash Flat on Oct. 11. Pretrial motions will be heard Oct. 6, Boyce said.

State Desk on 06/22/2016

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