Report: Yale Suspect Tried to Hide Blood

Suspect's and Victim's DNA Found in Ceiling and Crawl Space of Lab, Official Says

(CBS/ AP)  Updated 2:10 p.m. ET

Staffers in white lab coats reported to work Friday at the end of an extraordinary week at Yale University as a report surfaced detailing the DNA evidence that police say implicates a technician in the murder of a Yale graduate student.

A law enforcement official told The Hartford Courant that police investigating Annie Le's death found DNA evidence implicating Raymond Clark III in a ceiling and in the wall recess where her body was found.

The official spoke on condition of anonymity, and New Haven police wouldn't confirm the information to The Associated Press.

The official said Clark tried to hide blood-spattered equipment and cleaned up areas Le was in before she vanished Sept. 8. Her body was found five days later on what was to be her wedding day.

Police charged Clark, 24, with murder on Thursday, arresting him at a motel a day after taking hair, fingernail and saliva samples from him to compare with the evidence from the crime scene.

Bond was set at $3 million for Clark. He did not enter a plea.

A law enforcement official - who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the investigation continues and many details remain sealed - said Yale workers told police that Clark was a "control freak" who clashed with scientists and their proteges in the lab where they both worked at the Ivy League school.

As for motive, some believe Clark may have gotten into a dispute with Le over lab procedures, CBS News correspondent Randall Pinkston reports. As an animal technician, Clark cleaned cages and fed the animals that Le and other researchers used. There are reports that Clark sent Le a text message requesting a meeting to discuss cleanliness of the cages - it appears the lab workers were continually reprimanding researchers about the lab rules, Pinkston reports.

Investigators haven't decided whether the theory will ultimately lead to a motive but don't believe they'll need to establish one when Clark goes to trial because of strong forensic evidence, the official said.

Authorities would not discuss a motive, largely because Clark has not been talking to police, the official said. They also would not disclose the DNA test results or how they connected Clark to the slaying.

Security guards continued their street patrols Friday morning and news crews set up for another day of staking out the college's medical complex. A makeshift memorial of candles and flowers was arranged at the entrance to a park across the street from the lab building, in an area of squat, utilitarian buildings about a mile from the majestic main campus.

Kristin Dugan, who works in the building where Le was found dead, said she did not fear for her safety there before Le's killing or afterward.

"Things happen; you can't stop evil," she said. "If evil's going to happen, it's going to happen anywhere."

Le's work at the university involved experiments on mice that were part of research into enzymes that could have implications for treatment of cancer, diabetes and muscular dystrophy, while Clark's technician job involved cleaning floors and mouse cages.

New Haven Police Chief James Lewis has called Le's death a case of workplace violence. He would not elaborate except to say reports that the two had a romantic relationship were untrue.

Appearing on CBS' "The Early Show" Friday, legal analyst Lisa Bloom said that prosecutors do not have to prove motive.

"It's not an element of murder or any homicide crime," she said. "Sure, they'd like to have it, because a jury is always going to be curious as to what the motive is. But when there's a mountain of physical evidence which sounds like what we're gathering here now, they certainly don't need to have motive."

More from the Crimesider blog on the investigation into Annie Le's murder:

Was Workplace Violence Behind Killing of Yale Student?
Did Clark Force High School Girlfriend to Have Sex?
Yale Suspect's Wedding Web Site Goes Dark
Photos: Who is Raymond Clark III?
Photos: Raymond Clark and Fiancée in Love
Photos: Yale Holds Vigil for Slain Student
Photos: Student Found Dead on Wedding Day

Clark appeared in court with two public defenders. Joseph Lopez, one of the defense attorneys, said he still was reviewing the case and declined to comment.

Two friends of Clark's since childhood, appearing on CNN's "Larry King Live" on Thursday night, said they were stunned by the murder allegations and could not reconcile them with the young man they've known for years.

"That's not the Raymond Clark I've talked to my whole entire life," Bobby Heslin said.

"I just can't picture him doing something like this," Maurice Perry said.

The New York Times reported that Clark at times grew angry if lab workers did not wear shoe covers. "He would make a big deal of it, instead of just requesting that they wear them," said a researcher who asked not to be identified.

ABC News reported that Clark sent a text message to Le on the day she vanished requesting a meeting to discuss the cleanliness of mouse cages in the research lab.

Reached at their homes after work Thursday, several of Le's co-workers at the lab declined to comment.

The Connecticut medical examiner said Wednesday that Le died of "traumatic asphyxiation," which could indicate a choke hold or some other form of suffocation caused by a hand or an object such as a pipe.

A memorial service is planned on Long Island sometime between the Jewish high holidays of Rosh Hashanah, which begins Friday evening, and Yom Kippur on Sept. 28, according to the temple attended by the family of Le's fiance, Jonathan Widawsky.

The temple "wants to create a private memorial service for them," said cantor Sandra Sherry of Temple Beth El in Huntington, N.Y.

Clark was being held Thursday night at the MacDougall-Walker Correctional Institution, a high-security facility in Suffield, about 20 miles north of Hartford. His next scheduled court date is Oct. 6.

More on the Annie Le investigation at CBSNews.com:

Yale Student Suffocated, Coroner Finds
"The Early Show:" Yale 'Unnerved' By Murder
Yale Student's Slaying an Inside Job?
Cops: Yale Student Killing Not Random Act
Tragic Find In Search for Yale Student

[militarylover]

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[cbsblogger]

I can't trust the agenda of the media. So I refuse to convict this guy until the facts of his trial.

Does anyone remember that the media just days ago convicted 5 guys for gang raping a Hofstra student?

Turns out they were dead wrong as were the police. The victim has confessed that she was lying just like at Duke.

Since then we've heard only dead silence. I find the chutzpah of the media to be very disturbing. They need sued for billions and only then will they keep their opinions to themselves.

[willow013]

What an idiot!! Anyone who thinks they can clean up a crime scene doesn't understand the science of forensics.....

[TheVarsityClub]

Is this where we are at as a society, that dirty rat cages would drive a man to put the human death grip on an eighty pound women?

When people lose hope, they lose desire. Keep hope alive.

[wyodutch]

That is so sad... I still remember Mr. Clark performing with Buck Owens on "Hee Haw"... "Pickin' anna Grinnin'"

[janeyre-2009]

Why is this guy referred to as a Lab Tech? He was a janitor.

[DizzyMonk]

Here's a theory. It might be a crime of passion.

http://dizzymonk.hotlikepho.com/2009/09/love-struck-first-then-the-fist/

[JVgirl]

In think this guy is a wierd, sick psycho. He has a very strange, crazy look in his eyes. He just stares right into you. He's creepy! That picture of him with his face painted red is a pretty good clue to the kind of wierdo he is! I think his girlfriend should consider herself blessed that he was caught because she probably would have been his next victim!

[JVgirl]

I misspelled weird and weirdo. Please forgive my bad spelling. I was thinking of the i before e except after c rule which I guess doesn't apply in this case.

[ava_martin]

He's been released!

[Jess272]

Was she doing something to the animals in the lab that made him go bonkers? This is just tragic for everyone.


Really? Really? THEY ARE RATS!! I love the idiots on here as someone mentioned before that seem to think "the rat poop defense" is a semi understandable reason he did what he did. Someone with a conscious who just "snapped" would of still done the right thing. Not went to his softball game two days later and then that Sunday again to drink some beer with his softball buddies.......Someone that "snapped" doesn't continue to live his life as if nothing has happened. He deserves 10 times what they will give him....I hope GOD has mercy on his soul because if I had any say in it..I sure wouldn't.

[ava_martin]

What an SOB! I didn't know that. Do you suppose anyone noticed anything peculiar or wrong with him? If not, he must indeed be a cold-blooded killer!
Women will kill their husband after a good length of abuse. A woman who has been pushed to the brink will kill her kids when out of it. A man will kill anyone of importance out of jealousy and rage at losing control or due to loss. Some Kid(s) here in Florida felt so angry they executed their parents. Yes, there are inherently evil people who kill to taste the blood, mostly under a spell ... (pick one) But I happen to believe that generally people are decent and caring?honor the value of everyone, the exceptions the ones that stand out.
Work place violence is dealing with people who seek primarily power and control and when someone stands up to them, or has had enough you might say, it can get pretty dirty, verbal or otherwise. The one with the upper hand will always win out. A bee will sting you if you step on it. It is not its intent to sting you just going about business as usual. Now that is a darn good defense if I say so.
If the facts surface, rather than the drama, we'll know what drove this to madness.

[carolo43]

So strange. Clark seems like a decent person and all his friends say the same thing. What kind of agrument could they have had over work that could have led to so much violence? Was she doing something to the animals in the lab that made him go bonkers? This is just tragic for everyone.

[hamiltoningrate]

The last time there was a Yale Murder was in the late 1970s when a student ( poor ) killed his girlfriend ( rich) because she broke up with him. Read, anger issue. The LIBERAL campus came to the defense of the student who was the murderer ! Including the faculty, looking for a cause. I hope this does not happen here.

[ava_martin]

Women will kill their husband after a good length of abuse. A woman who has been pushed to the brink will kill her kids when out of it. A man will kill anyone of importance out of jealousy and rage at losing control or due to loss. Some Kid(s) here in Florida felt so angry they executed their parents. Yes, there are inherently evil people who kill to taste the blood, mostly under a spell ... (pick one) But I happen to believe that generally people are decent and caring?honor the value of everyone, the exceptions the ones that stand out.
Work place violence is dealing with people who seek primarily power and control and when someone stands up to them, or has had enough you might say, it can get pretty dirty, verbal or otherwise. The one with the upper hand will always win out. A bee will sting you if you step on it. It is not its intent to sting you just going about business as usual. Now that is a darn good defense if I say so.
If the facts surface, rather than the drama, we'll know what drove this to madness.

[kennyfrew]

Ok-Say we talk about the original topic:
Where is all this blood coming from if he strangled her?

[tafhdyd]

Beat me to the question, I was just going to ask the same thing.

[bruceton]

This guy just snapped. Happens all the time. Another reason, in the long, long, line of reasons why everyone over the age of 16 should be trained, licensed and certified to carry gun. If you have no means of defending yourself, people, like this wack job will kill you. Forget tazer's, pepper spray, karate, or kick boxing. If she was licensed to carry the ending would have been much better for all concerned. One in the head, two in the chest. Game over for this dude. You know he'll be out in 5-10 when he finds Jesus. Play it my way and he'd be waving bye-bye to Jesus right now on the way to his just reward! Oh and to all of you anti-gun nuts out there, just imagine if one student (or professor) at Virginia Tech had a gun, instead of 32 dead, there would be what maybe 10 dead, even 31 dead would have made a difference, especially if it was your son or daughter. Buy a gun,learn to use it. Carry it with you--always!

[spiritwalk]

By your logic bruceton that policy would mean that Clark would have had a gun as well and instead of strangling her would have shot her.

The issue of guns, like most every other issue, is a complex one and extremeist statemants from either end of the debate only make the issue more mixed up and volitile.

The issue here may indeed be one of workplace violence, brought on by a loack of civility and responisbility in the workplace.

For right now, we know nothing about anyone who worked in that lab and because Le is the victim of the violence we do not know yet what part she may have played in exasberating the situation in the workplace. Not that it excuses the murder, but Clark may not be solely responsible for whatever it was that was occuring there that led to this situation getting out of control.

Clark is in custody and the system will deal with that. Perhaps now it is time to shift the focus and put Yale under the microscope and see what kid of working environment exists on thea campus. There may be a lot of blame for this situation to go around.

[bobnjersey]

[This guy just snapped. Happens all the time. Another reason, in the long, long, line of reasons why everyone over the age of 16 should be trained, licensed and certified to carry gun. If you have no means of defending yourself, people, like this wack job will kill you]

what if the people you train and arm are the ones that 'just snap'?

[SusanStoHelit]

What a load of BS. A gun won't help you. You are talking to a coworker - you don't have it pulled and ready. But he's the killer - he's ready - you turn your back to leave, he strikes, there's not the slightest chance you can beat that. End of story. She resisted, fought well - but if she had a gun, so would he - and it would have been even easier and faster for him to kill her. He wouldn't have had to touch her, so she wouldn't have been able to leave scratches, cause his blood to be left behind - he could still be free. And she'd still be dead.

[legacyabq]

1 in the head and two in the chest is wrong, what movie you get that from??

Sheesh!







Its two in the chest only!

[wyodutch]

I wondered what happened to him after he left "Hee Haw".

[Jess272]

Great idea lets just pass out guns to everyone....because they are licensed and registered doesn't mean they won't misuse them..glad to see your answer to violence is more violence..brilliant I tell ya...

[MARYWILMA]

I WAS ON A JOB IN KENTUCKY A FEW YEARS AGO, 3 MEN WERE GIVING ANOTHER A BAD TIME. MESSING WITH HIS TOOLS AND PERSONAL PROPERTY. THEY DEFICATED IN HIS LUNCH BOX. HE WENT TO HIS HOUSE NEARBY AN CAME BACK WITH A 9 MM PISTOL. KILLED 2 AND THE THIRD ONE IS WHEEL CHAIR BOUND FOR THE REST OF HIS LIFE. THE SHOOTER GOT TEN YEARS WAS OUT IN 6 . AND IS A FREE MAN NOW..

[bobnjersey]

[I WAS ON A JOB IN KENTUCKY A FEW YEARS AGO, 3 MEN WERE GIVING ANOTHER A BAD TIME. MESSING WITH HIS TOOLS AND PERSONAL PROPERTY. THEY DEFICATED IN HIS LUNCH BOX. HE WENT TO HIS HOUSE NEARBY AN CAME BACK WITH A 9 MM PISTOL. KILLED 2 AND THE THIRD ONE IS WHEEL CHAIR BOUND FOR THE REST OF HIS LIFE. THE SHOOTER GOT TEN YEARS WAS OUT IN 6 . AND IS A FREE MAN NOW.. ]

does anybody that was on that job mess with anyone's tools anymore ... or deficate into another's lunch box?

[SusanStoHelit]

A young woman, strangled, murdered, for nothing - and you're ready to blame her, to align her with these stupid punks? Sickening to see how many are ready to blame the victim, to turn her into the avatar of everything negative about the work world. There's not a SINGLE report that she was anything but nice. Not a ONE. And you are willing to hurt her memory, her friends and family by acting as if she deserved it.

[SusanStoHelit]

Taking a life is never right. That was a sick man, stealing lives for mere aggravation. They were wrong - he was evil.

[ava_martin]

My ex, in the 70s was working and the crew were teasing him calling him sisified names. He had some hair all right! But on his face too! They started tampering with his tools, threatening and taunting him so he reached down and grabbed the wrench and cold cocked one of his taunters. He ran like H and called me to pick him up leaving all behind, I'd never seen him so terrified! He was golden gloves in high school always getting into a tussle, but I never saw him scared. We left that community straight away.

[bubbadubba]

I would bet the guy is a regular listener to Limbaugh, Hannity, and Beck because all those people do is spew hate every day to make people angry.

[earth562]

Hey Bubba,

Why is it that morons like yourself somehow enter politics into everything. Did your mommy not give you some Kool-Aid this morning ?

[bubbadubba]

A man is innocent until proven guilty in our country so I will not pronounce the guy guilty but I must ask the question in general, what kind of evil monster kills a pretty petite young girl like Le?
We can do without murderers and I think they should all be put in huge shredders and made into shark food and dumped into the ocean.
Whoever is convicted will get life and then probably be out in 20 years to kill another young girl. I don't think Connecticut has the death penalty.
I feel just as bad for her fiance who's future wife was murdered on their wedding day.
Just an all around horrible thing.

[AttentionDeficit]

"Also prayer and church attendance will have God protecting you from homicidial maniacs."

Yeah, but who would protect you from religious maniacs?

[feistyjourn]

"The New York Times reported that Clark at times grew angry if lab workers did not wear shoe covers. "He would make a big deal of it, instead of just requesting that they wear them," said a researcher who asked not to be identified."

It does sound like this guy thought the lab was his personal fiefdom. It also appears he had poor social skills and therefore problems communicating his concerns to the grad students in the lab. He couldn't speak up unless he made himself angry, and then he was out of control. He may have felt he was being patronized when he spoke out about correct lab procedures: "Yeah, yeah, Ray, we'll get to it, don't get your shorts in a wad." The pecking order in the lab was apparently very clear, and he was the chicken on the bottom.

Of course, none of this in any way excuses him for murder or even physical or mental harassment. I'll bet just about now he's wishing he had vented his anger in walking out of the lab rather than strangling the most convenient target.

[ava_martin]

You are, feisty. Right on!