Local Man Charged With Murder In Beating Death

By Andrew Gorosko

WATERBURY — A state prosecutor this week added murder charges to the criminal charges pending against a Newtown man, who last month allegedly brutally beat his estranged wife and her new boyfriend, killing the boyfriend.

In Waterbury Superior Court on December 12, State’s Attorney John Connelly lodged charges of murder, and also murder in the commission of a felony against Nicholas Clark, 31.

The murder charges stem from the death of Erich Tabert, 26, who died on November 19, following Clark’s alleged November 17 pipe-wielding attack against him and against Clark’s estranged wife Christa.

Initially, police had charged Clark with first-degree assault for the attack on Tabert. Tabert died of blunt-force trauma head injuries, according to the medical examiner.

Also pending against Clark are charges of first-degree assault resulting in serious physical injury for his alleged attack on his wife, as well first-degree burglary with a deadly weapon, and violation of protective order.

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

Nicholas Clark formerly lived at the Waterbury address where the attack occurred before moving to Newtown while his divorce was underway.

On December 12, Clark was led into Courtroom 2-B by judicial marshals. Shackled and handcuffed, he wore a puffy bright yellow prison coverall over his small build, while appearing before Judge Roland Fasano.

Clark is represented by attorney John R. Gulash, Jr, of Bridgeport.

Judge Fasano set February 21 as the date for a probable cause hearing, at which the state would present the evidence which it believes justifies bringing a murder charge against Clark.

 Accused persons may not be formally charged with murder until a judge decides that there is probable cause to do so. Alternately, an accused person may waive such a probable cause hearing and be directly charged with the crime.

Following Clark’s court appearance, Gulash said that he will be preparing for the probable cause hearing in the coming weeks. Gulash declined to comment on the substance of the criminal charges pending against Clark.

Clark is being held on $2.5 million bail at the MacDougall-Walker Correctional Institution in Suffield.