Morgan's Warriors taking up Clarke case

Samantha Ann Clarke has now been missing more than three months and with no new developments that can be reported in the investigation, her return by the holidays seems unlikely.

Kim Simmons, a member of Morgan’s Warriors, a group of women organized last year to raise awareness for Virginia Tech student Morgan D. Harrington, whose remains were found months after she went missing, said she has been frustrated by area residents telling her Clarke simply ran away as she hangs up missing person’s fliers.

“I don’t get the impression she ran away,” Simmons said. “She would have contacted a friend by now and she would have definitely contacted Barbara [Tinder, Clarke’s mother].”

Orange Police Chief Jim Fenwick said this week that there was no information in the case that he could release at this time, but that the investigation is continuing to move forward.

Three weeks ago a vigil was held for Clarke under the shelter at Veteran’s Park in Orange. From that vigil, Fenwick said he garnered a few leads, which the department is following up on. Over the course of the investigation, Fenwick said his department has investigated every lead.

“The number of tips ebbs and flows week to week,” Fenwick said. “When we’re not following leads we’re attempting to get information from [the family’s] computers and phone records.”

Fenwick said the department has been attempting to find information in phones and computers since the beginning of the investigation and has received technical assistance from the Virginia State Police.

Geographically, Orange police have followed leads throughout the surrounding counties and as far away as Danville.

“I would say it’s 50/50, in county and out of county,” Fenwick said. “But there’s actually been very little in the town. There’s been some, but the bulk [of the leads] have been outside of the town.”

Fenwick again stressed that the department has no evidence to suggest a crime has been committed, but that according to family members, Clarke’s silence is worrisome.

“From what we’ve been told by the family, Samantha would have called her mother by now, regardless of what she was doing, good or bad,” he said.

In the time since the vigil, Simmons said Morgan’s Warriors has raised $300 to buy Christmas presents for Tinder’s son, to help ease the financial burden on the single mother.

“We’ve been concentrating on raising money right now, but after the holidays I’m going to look into getting Samantha on a billboard in the area and in the Value Pack [coupon flier],” Simmons said. “We’re doing our part to keep things out there.”

Simmons said she has been impressed with the diligence of the Orange Police Department in its investigation into finding Samantha.

“They’re not discounting anything,” she said.

Fenwick said he urges anyone with information on the whereabouts of Clarke to contact the Orange Police Department at (540) 672-1491, Orange County Sheriff’s Office at (540) 672-1200, or Orange County CrimeSolvers at (540) 672-7200.