Local Man Faces Murder Charge

From Staff and

 Wire Reports

WATERBURY — A Waterbury prosecutor says that a Newtown man who allegedly wielded a pipe while attacking his estranged wife and her new boyfriend is going to face a murder charge.

State’s Attorney John Connelly said early this week that 31-year-old Nicholas Clark will be charged with murder after 26-year-old Erich Tabert died.

A St Mary’s Hospital spokeswoman said Tuesday that Mr Tabert “expired” on Monday.

A spokeswoman for the chief state medical examiner’s office said Wednesday that the results of an autopsy on Mr Tabert’s remains indicated that he died as the victim of a homicide due to blunt traumatic head injuries. 

Police said Mr Tabert had been dating Nicholas Clark’s estranged wife, 29-year-old Christa Clark. The hospital listed her in “stable” condition on Tuesday. Police said Christa Clark received serious injuries in the attack.

Police said that at about 4:30 am on Saturday, November 17, as Mr Tabert and Christa Clark slept, Nicholas Clark burglarized his former Waterbury house at 49 Knoll Street in the East End. Nicholas Clark then beat the couple with a metal pipe and fled the scene, according to police.

Nicholas Clark and Christa Clark are in the process of a divorce, said Waterbury police spokesman Lieutenant Chris Corbett. Nicholas Clark formerly lived at the Waterbury address before moving to Newtown while his divorce was underway.

After the assaults occurred, Waterbury police contacted Newtown police informing them of the incident, said Newtown Police Chief Michael Kehoe.

Newtown police then went to the Newtown location where the Clarks’ children were staying in order to protect them in the event that Nicholas Clark should go there, Chief Kehoe said.

Later on November 17, Waterbury police arrested Nicholas Clark and charged him with two counts of first-degree assault, one count of first-degree burglary, and also with violation of protective order.

Nicholas Clark had been arrested in the past for a domestic violence incident with Christa Clark, and she had a protective order in effect against him, police said.  

By arrangement with Nicholas Clark, Waterbury police made the arrest at commuter parking lot on Wasserman Way, near Exit 11 of Interstate 84. 

Nicholas Clark is being held on $2.5 million bail at the New Haven Correctional Center for December 12  appearance in Waterbury Superior Court, when his criminal charges are expected to be increased.