By Keri Blakinger
Houston Chronicle
HOUSTON — A Tyler man convicted of drowning a former housemate and stuffing her body into a barrel of lime and cement is now facing a death date.
Troy Clark was sentenced to die in 2000 for killing Christina Muse out of fear the young mother would snitch on him for his drug use, according to court records. This week he was given a Sept. 26 execution date, according to Texas Department of Criminal Justice spokesman Jeremy Desel.
The May 1998 slaying came just after Muse moved out of the Smith County home where Clark and his girlfriend Tory Bush lived and sold meth.
One day when Muse stopped back at the home to visit, she and Clark started talking and at some point in the conversation, according to court records, he used a stun gun to take her down, then duct-taped her arms and legs and left her in a closet for hours. Then, he moved her into the bathtub and ordered Bush to get a board so he could beat the bound woman.
After drowning Muse, according to court records, Clark ordered his girlfriend to go get lime. When she got back, he dumped the slain woman’s body in a blue barrel filled with lime, cement mix and water.
Later, Clark and some friends loaded the barrel into a truck and ditched it in a remote spot on his landlord’s property.
When authorities found the gruesome remains, they also discovered the body of Tracy Mize decaying in a septic tank on the same property.
In trial, the jury also heard evidence that Clark he allegedly killed two other people and robbed others.
But in court, Clark denied his involvement, saying he wasn’t at home at the time of the slaying, and that he was out delivering drugs.
In the years since he was sent to death row, Clark has argued the he suffered bad lawyering and didn’t get to show evidence rebutting claims he would be a future danger to society.
The U.S. Supreme Court turned down his appeal last year.
The Lone Star State has executed five men this year, and - including Clark - another seven are on the calendar.
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