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Is Colorado Correction Chief’s Death Linked to Muslim Prisoner He Denied Transfer to Saudi Arabia?

Mar. 20, 2013 8:00pm Jason Howerton

MONUMENT, Colo. (TheBlaze/AP) — Colorado’s top state prison official was shot and killed when he answered the front door of his house, setting off a hunt for the shooter and raising questions about whether the attack had anything to do with his job.

Tom Clements, 58, was shot around 8:30 p.m. Tuesday in Monument, north of Colorado Springs, and a witness reported a person driving away in a dark-colored “boxy” car that had its engine running at the time of the shooting, authorities said.

Investigators were exploring all possibilities, including that the shooting could have been related to Clements’ job as executive director of the Colorado Department of Corrections, which he took after years working in Missouri corrections.

Is Colorado Correction Chiefs Death Linked to Muslim Prisoner Denied Transfer to Saudi Arabia?

This undated image provided by the Colorado Department of Corrections shows its director Tom Clements. Sheriff’s Lt. Jeff Kramer says Clements was shot to death around 8:30 p.m. Tuesday night March 19, 2013 when he answered his front door in Monument, north of Colorado Springs. Police are searching for the shooter. Credit: AP

While Clements generally kept a low profile, his killing comes a week after he denied a request by a Saudi national to serve out the remainder of a Colorado prison sentence in Saudi Arabia. He cited al-Turki’s refusal to undergo sex offender treatment.

Homaidan al-Turki, a well-known member of Denver’s Muslim community, was convicted in state court in 2006 of unlawful sexual contact by use of force, theft and extortion and sentenced to 28 years to life in prison. Prosecutors said he kept a housekeeper a virtual slave for four years and sexually assaulted her. A judge reduced the sentence to eight years to life.

Al-Turki insisted the case was politically motivated. He owned a company that some years ago sold CDs of sermons recorded by Anwar al-Awlaki, killed in a drone strike in Yemen in 2011.

Al-Turki’s conviction angered Saudi officials and prompted the U.S. State Department to send Colorado Attorney General John Suthers to Saudi Arabia to meet with King Abdullah, Crown Prince Sultan and al-Turki’s family.

The killing stunned officials in both states. They described Clements, who is married with two daughters, as dedicated, funny, caring and an expert on the latest and best methods in his field who chose the Colorado job over retirement.

At a news conference, Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper was red-eyed and somber, speaking haltingly as he said he didn’t think the killing was part of any larger attack against his cabinet, members of which stood behind him, several of them crying. Others dabbed their eyes.

“Tom Clements dedicated his life to being a public servant, to making our state a better place and he is going to be deeply, deeply missed,” said Hickenlooper, who planned to go to Monument to meet with Clements’ family after signing gun-control bills.

Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper speaks at a news conference at the Capitol in Denver on Wednesday, March 20, 2013, where he talks about the shooting death of Tom Clements, the executive director of the Department of Corrections, who was shot and killed when he answered the front door of his house Tuesday night, in Monument, Colo. Police are searching for the gunman and trying to figure out if the attack had anything to do with his position. Credit: AP

While the motive of the killing wasn’t immediately clear, similar attacks on officials have been on the rise in the U.S., said Glenn McGovern, an investigator with the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s office in California who tracks such incidents worldwide. He said there have been as many in the past three years as the entire prior decade.

The attacks are often motivated by revenge, said McGovern, who has documented more than 133 attacks, including 41 homicides, against judges, prosecutors and other justice and police officials since 1950.

Last month, a Texas prosecutor was killed by masked gunmen as he walked through a parking lot to the county courthouse. McGovern also counts the rampage by an ex-Los Angeles police officer who killed the daughter of a retired city police officer as part of a plot to avenge his firing.

In Colorado, a prosecutor was fatally shot in 2008 as he returned to his Denver house. In 2001, federal prosecutor Thomas Wales was fatally shot by a rifleman while he worked on a computer at night in his Seattle home.

“It’s often taking place away from the office, which makes sense, because everyone’s hardening up their facilities,” said McGovern, adding that he advises prosecutors in their houses to constantly assess the safety of their residences.

Clements lived in a wooded neighborhood of large, two-story houses on expansive 2-acre lots dotted with evergreen trees in an area known as the Black Forest. Long driveways connect the homes to narrow, winding roads that thread the hills.

It would have been simple to find where Clements lived. It took two clicks to get his correct street address through a publicly available internet locator service Wednesday morning. The listing also included his previous home address in Missouri.

A family member called 911 to report the shooting. Search dogs were called in to comb through a wooded area around Clements’ home, and authorities were going house to house trying to find out what neighbors heard and saw.

After Clements’ shooting, someone with the State Department called the Colorado Corrections Department. Prisons spokeswoman Alison Morgan said she had no details on the call other than to say it wasn’t connected to the shooting investigation and may have been a simple courtesy.

“They called us because we have a cooperative international program with them,” she said.

Attorney Henry Solano, one of al-Turki’s attorneys, said he has not been contacted by investigators. He refused to comment on the shooting.

Clements is at least the second state prisons chief killed in office.

Michael Francke, director of the Oregon corrections department, was stabbed to death outside his office in 1989 in what prosecutors described as a bungled car burglary. A former Oregon prison inmate was found guilty of aggravated murder in 1991 and sentenced to life in prison.

Clements received a bachelor’s degree in sociology and a master’s degree in public administration from the University of Missouri. He started with Missouri corrections in 1979 and over his 31 years there worked in prisons as well as probation and parole services. He was director of adult institutions when he left.

Hickenlooper appointed Clements to the post in 2011. He replaced Ari Zavaras, a former Denver police chief who led the department under two governors.

Since October 2011, his wife, Lisa Clements, has been the director of a state office that oversees the state’s mental health institutes in Fort Logan and Pueblo, as well as community mental health and substance abuse centers.

Hickenlooper ordered flags lowered to half-staff at public buildings until the day after Clements’ funeral.

(H/T: Daily Mail)

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Comments (66)

COFemale
Posted on March 21, 2013 at 1:30am
Just like a Liberal judge to reduce his sentence from 28 to life to 8 years to life. Time to find out that judges name and remove them from the bench. These are the judges that will get people killed. If Clements was killed due to this Muslim cretin, then my statement is correct.

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- savagenatn
  Posted on March 21, 2013 at 1:35am
  this jackass judge should be arrested immediately as an accomplice. These liberal hacks MUST be held accountable for their bleeding heart radical decisions on the bench. Enough of this garbage.
  
  Report this comment
- 1947
  Posted on March 21, 2013 at 7:19am
  America can “NO” longer go to your front without a GUN in hand because a MUSLIM might be at your door. Now you understand why Obama wants your GUNS America…..
  
  Report this comment
- poorrichard09
  Posted on March 21, 2013 at 8:52am
  Sounds like the Gov. is already hiding his head in the sand. If the mussies did do it, it will be hushed up and we’ll never know it-they are a protected class, you know.
  
  Report this comment
hades3
Posted on March 21, 2013 at 12:11am
I do not open my front door too anyone I do not know or expect.. If I were too ever do that, I would be in a position too defend myself.

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spirited
Posted on March 20, 2013 at 11:15pm
Condolences to the family and friends…. of Tom Clements.

~>May the guilty be extinguished next to now.

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SunTzuYou
Posted on March 20, 2013 at 10:50pm
Good job Colorado, when guns are outlawed only muslims will have guns

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- katzkiner
  Posted on March 21, 2013 at 5:20am
  Don’t you sleep better knowing yesterday the State Dept. and the TSA put Saudi citizens on the “Safe Flyer” program? Afterall it was only 15 of 19. 9-11 hijackers from our friends the Saudis. Is their any doubt whose side the government is on? Muslim sympathisers throughout the executive branch. Terrorism is the best excuse for a police state
  All Hail the Caliphate!
  
  Report this comment
- bigbear_awake
  Posted on March 21, 2013 at 8:34am
  BUT WITH GUN CONTROL they will Not have the guns(sure) just knifes
  
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ColoradoMaverick
Posted on March 20, 2013 at 10:07pm
Well, instead of investigating and going after the bad guys, Hickenlooper and the other left wing quacks in Colorado will just say, “See we told you we need gun control laws!”.

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- MMCMswRET
  Posted on March 21, 2013 at 1:27am
  It’s awfully coincidental that a shooting of a high profile individual took place hours before Hickenlooper was to sign gun control legislation. Almost as if “someone” wanted to ensure Hickenlooper didn’t change his mind about signing it.
  
  Report this comment
texastaximan
Posted on March 20, 2013 at 10:02pm
This is going to become more and more common place as the police state grips us ever tighter. People will rebel, solo at first, then enmass. That is why the Feds have 2700 armored cars and 1.6 Billion .40 caliber hollowpoints. Hide and watch……

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- 226crimsontrace
  Posted on March 21, 2013 at 9:47am
  How true, I see that Loopenhicker said that Clements dedicated his life to “public service”. That is a very impressive house for a “servant”, very nice neighborhood. Let’s try to extinguish this ridiculous phrase “public servant”. It’s not true.
  Also let’s keep in mind that Colorado has a lot of privately owned prisons, and it was Clements job to keep these running profitably. It might be the Muslim revenge, or any one else who was held as long as possible because of Clements and his policies
  
  Report this comment
woodyee
Posted on March 20, 2013 at 9:59pm
because everyone’s hardening up their facilities,”

Against what?

Against who?

If the justice system is so weak so as to let perps with a propensity for violence, out early, then strengthen the justice system.

If the LOE’s were wasted by drug cartel employees, strengthen the borders.

If the federal government is responsible for any of this (early release; release of illegal alien felons; arming and coddling drug cartels) then State LOE’s ought to take on the Feds.

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- woodyee
  Posted on March 20, 2013 at 10:00pm
  I meant LEO’s (Law enforcement officers).
  
  Report this comment
DoOrDie
Posted on March 20, 2013 at 9:57pm
An eye for an eye. If this story is true, then the Muslim prisoner should be tortured until dead, along with the killer.

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- 226crimsontrace
  Posted on March 21, 2013 at 9:49am
  Good idea, then the USA will move from the most hated nation on earth, to the most hated nation in the solar system
  
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SilentReader
Posted on March 20, 2013 at 9:53pm
I’m sure this is just a coincidence! Of course, I don’t believe in coincidences.

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thibx
Posted on March 20, 2013 at 9:32pm
i hope they find the killer and that muslim dude i hope spends his life in prison.

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AnAmerican111
Posted on March 20, 2013 at 9:18pm
More useless Muslims…….. Now threatening and killing within the borders of our Country…….

Wake up America!

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wilbstal
Posted on March 20, 2013 at 9:16pm
ill buy more Guns you just cant be safe enough in spite

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Toxic Pirate
Posted on March 20, 2013 at 9:04pm
Just like to point out in addition to out new gun laws this is illegal in Colorado too !
dark-colored “boxy” car that had its engine running at the time

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kangaroo
Posted on March 20, 2013 at 9:02pm
Yep Hickenlooper is having a big cry as he is restricting guns for the American citizen to defend themselves. Usually you would call him a commie traitor, but now I think it has evolved to a ****** traitor. fukin azzwpe,

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- kangaroo
  Posted on March 20, 2013 at 9:11pm
  OMG you scrub muZzieeee and not commie, Pisz off you stupid twits, hope you got food stored and just goes to show that Beck has no idea who his employees are
  
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oceandove
Posted on March 20, 2013 at 8:59pm
Does the writer of this article watch Glenn Beck. He is not a SHOOTER, he is a MURDERER!

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The-Monk
Posted on March 20, 2013 at 8:47pm
Should have fired 2 shots from his Joe Biden shotgun through the door first.

Do you think Joe has stocks in a door replacement company?

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Whatmeworry-never
Posted on March 20, 2013 at 8:24pm
Coming to your front door as soon as they finish getting our guns.

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Totally Domestic
Posted on March 20, 2013 at 8:23pm
Say what? Mr. Clements refused to bow to the Saudi King?

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LakeHartwellSailor
Posted on March 20, 2013 at 8:18pm
Ironic that Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper, also just signed into law incredibly restrictive gun control measures. Not that it has any bearing on this tragedy, but I am just pointing out that Hickenlooper has, in effect, further neutered the citizens of Colorado to protect themselves as they see fit.

Now, to comment directly on this story, I further find it ironic that in the last two weeks or so, the TSA has seen fit to allow knives into the passenger compartment of airlines. In addition to this, today Homeland Security, with the blessing of State Department, will begin to allow Saudi’s (at least, “certain” Saudi’s) to by-pass the passport requirements to a very large degree.

Saudi Arabia, the origination point for most of the terrorists who rammed airplanes into the WTC Twin Towers, the Pentagon, and a field in PA. Knives, the weapon of choice these Saudi’s used to intimidate, and overtake the passengers, flight attendants, and ultimately, the flight crew.

Something stinks to high heaven.

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- GardenoftheGods
  Posted on March 20, 2013 at 10:28pm
  How much louder does this Government have to yell “WE DON’T GIVE A CRAP ABOUT THE AMERICAN PEOPLE” before we wake up to all special treatment Muslims are getting? Between Bush & Obama filling our Civil Service up with members of the Muslim Brotherhood and inviting every ******* from Somalia to Saudi Arabia in; we are screwed. Time to wake up America & keep your guns handy, they’re turning our country into a Muslim paradise and most of us won’t fit in.
  
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- loveoursoldiers
  Posted on March 21, 2013 at 8:19am
  And when something happens it will be blamed on the Obama sequester ( aka republicans) because that is why they allowed knives on planes.. you know.. looking for knives is very labor intensive..but putting their hands down a wheel-chair bound elderly person’s crotch is not ?
  This stuff is getting very scary. Then again, that is the purpose.
  
  Report this comment
The Knave
Posted on March 20, 2013 at 8:15pm
Are we sure he was targeted because of who he is? Or was he targeted because of who he is…as in the husband of the director of MENTAL health institutes. Maybe she’s being leaned on…..

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Diane TX
Posted on March 20, 2013 at 8:14pm
Prosecutors said he kept a housekeeper a virtual slave for four years and sexually assaulted her. A judge reduced the sentence to eight years to life. Al-Turki insisted the case was politically motivated. He owned a company that some years ago sold CDs of sermons recorded by Anwar al-Awlaki, killed in a drone strike in Yemen in 2011.
____________________________________________

He thinks he was convicted because he’s a Muslim, and NOT because he raped and kept a woman as a slave for four years. I’ll say it again. Islam has NO PLACE in America. It just doesn’t belong here.

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- FISH_BONE
  Posted on March 20, 2013 at 8:23pm
  Come on Diane, I think you’re going too far. If we would simply (1) send more money to Muslim countries so they will like us and (2) fund some government studies so we could more fully understand Muslims, then I’m sure we could all get along.
  
  In all serious, I would again like to challenge anyone to name even one good Muslim. Go ahead, give it a shot. I’ll wait.
  
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- wilbstal
  Posted on March 20, 2013 at 9:15pm
  We know Colorado legislators dont care about rapist as we saw 2 weeks ago on nation wide TV with all their ways to defend against rapes…………..all except using a GUN. Now Colo is exploding with all kinds of payback and rage fires, murders, threats, man you get what you ask for
  
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- savagenatn
  Posted on March 21, 2013 at 1:38am
  Diane
  SO spot on! There is absolutely no place for this sham of a religion. islam is a barbaric cult, plain and simple. These SOB’s care nothing about human life. They are mere throwbacks wearing their stinking dirty night shirts. Enough of this!! And please don’t even justify the muslim cult by capitalizing the name. Screw the da mn mooslims!! One of you backward MF’s try this BS with me, you’ll get a magazine full of bullets through your dirty head.
  
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- mbcooke7
  Posted on March 21, 2013 at 7:29am
  Fishbone:
  
  I am not naming one good muslim to be a troll or a jackwagon or anything like that. I’m not a fan. My opinion is if they want to act like 7th century animals, then they need to go somewhere else.
  
  But on to the challenge of naming one good muslim: Muhammad Ali
  
  Aside from his conversion to Islam to avoid Vietnam, the dude was, by all reports, a pretty good dude.
  
  Report this comment
- Strider26
  Posted on March 21, 2013 at 11:56am
  @mbcooke7 – I think you missed the part where he converted to avoid Viet Nam. He was a coward….plain and simple.
  
  Report this comment
Walkabout
Posted on March 20, 2013 at 8:12pm
“Prosecutors said Homaidan al-Turki,kept a housekeeper a virtual slave for four years and sexually assaulted her. A judge reduced the sentence to eight years to life”

Liberals are right. We are too white, too Christian, too women rights. We need to be multi-cultural!

We must understand people who assault women & treat them like 2nd class citizens

Treating women like trash is as valid a culture as any other culture We need more people like Al -Turki! We need to celebrate his culture!

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- slr4528
  Posted on March 20, 2013 at 9:29pm
  Ha ha…you know what I find funny is that homosexuals and women’s rights groups align themselves with the left which in turn aligns with pro Muslim groups…………I wonder if any gays have attempted to hold a gay pride parade in a Muslim country?
  
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- D-Back
  Posted on March 21, 2013 at 11:14am
  @ALR…No, ain’t heard of any but personally hope they hold several soon in numerous muslim countries.
  
  Lord hear our prayers.
  
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zoro51
Posted on March 20, 2013 at 8:11pm
MORE MURDRING MUSLUMS in a MAN MADE CULT OF HATE N DEATH plus WHY the HELL is ther ea MUSLUM anything in that state??? THEY ARE TERRORISTS URDERS PIG FILTH thier god a STONE IDOL thier rules MAN MADE n never adhiered to.. they make upo the rules daily.. MUSLUMS need to be EJECTED deported form the USA.. throw out ALL of them like australia did.. does colorado really want MURDERING MUSLUM community there at all??? NO.. THEY KILLED N THEY WILL KILL AGAIN… only answer to DEPORT THEM EJECT THEM FORM THEN USA TODAY

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AquamanSucks
Posted on March 20, 2013 at 8:10pm
One word.
GITMO

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- canuck44
  Posted on March 20, 2013 at 8:17pm
  One word….Execute!
  
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- AquamanSucks
  Posted on March 20, 2013 at 8:30pm
  Canuck44
  
  You win.
  
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- barber2
  Posted on March 20, 2013 at 9:37pm
  Another word. Agree.
  
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Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra
Posted on March 20, 2013 at 8:07pm
Where was Hickenlooper during the shooting…..oh, that’s right, he was trying to take our guns away, you know, the legal, law abiding guns. I wonder if the shooter did his background check, paid the gun tax, and only used a 15 round magazine.

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- Walkabout
  Posted on March 20, 2013 at 8:18pm
  People, who keep maids as slaves, always follow gun laws. Ask a libtrd. They will tell us so.
  
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- Airport-bum
  Posted on March 21, 2013 at 7:49am
  It will be interesting when they catch this guy and find out what weapon he used. I can only imagine the new gun laws that they will write up to protect us from these evil guns.
  
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