Thomas MacMillan File Photo
Ray Clark heading into his arraignment in September 2009.
The former Yale lab tech accused of murdering a grad student is planning to drop his not-guilty plea.
That was the word Tuesday from a public defender representing Raymond Clark.
“We anticipate a change of plea on Thursday,” said the attorney, Joseph Lopez.
Clark is scheduled to appear in Superior Court on Church Street Thursday for the latest hearing in the murder case of Annie Le, a 24-year-old pharmacology graduate student strangled to death; on what would have been her wedding day, her body was found stashed in the walls of a Yale medical research building. Police arrested Clark, who cleaned mouse cages in that building, on Sept. 17, 2009, and charged him with the murder.
Clark pleaded not guilty. His case has crawled along in the pretrial phase.
Lopez said he can’t at this point comment further on what lesser charge Clark might plead to or what sentence he might face.
“Both sides have been negotiating back and forth” for some time on the plea, he said.
New Haven’s State’s Attorney Michael Dearington declined comment Tuesday afternoon.
“As far as I’m concerned, what if anything happens is not a subject of publicity at this point,” Dearington said.
The full story of the Annie Le murder has yet to be told; reams of evidence have been sealed. In particular, there is believed to be one grisly aspect to the murder that seemed destined to emerge at trial. Portions of the arrest warrant affidavit were redacted from public view. Depending on what happens with this new development, it’s anyone’s guess when or whether that and other information will ever come into public view.
Previous coverage of the Annie Le case:
June 16, 2010
Family Stands By Annie Le Murder Suspect
March 15, 2010
Warrant: Why Cops Sought Saliva Sample From Annie Le’s Alleged Killer’s Fiancee
March 9, 2010
Final Annie Le Warrant To Be Unsealed On Monday
March 3, 2010
Judge Plans To Unseal Final Annie Le Warrant
Tuesday, Jan. 26
• Annie Le’s Alleged Killer Pleads Not Guilty
Wednesday, Dec. 2
• Annie Le Warrants: Blood Found In Kitchen, Car
Tuesday, Nov. 17
• Seal Extended On Annie Le Warrants
Friday, Nov. 13
• Annie Le Warrant: Bloody Boots Read “Ray‑C”
Friday, Nov. 6
• Annie Le Documents To Be Unsealed
Tuesday, Nov. 3
• Hearing Continued For Annie Le Suspect; Judge Will Rule By Week’s End On Warrants: Live Blog
Tuesday, Oct. 20
• Annie Le Suspect Enters No Plea; Warrants Remain Sealed
Tuesday, Oct. 6
• Live Blog: Lawyer For Annie Le Murder Suspect Wants To See The Evidence
Friday, Sept. 25
• Warrant In Annie Le Murder To Stay Sealed
Thursday, Sept. 24
• Cops Back At Annie Le’s Lab Building
Monday, Sept. 21
• What Annie Le Story?
• Public Defender: I Don’t Want Annie Le Reporters Investigated
Thursday, Sept. 17
• After Annie Le Murder, Union Chief Sends Rallying Call
• Annie Le Suspect Knew Cops Were On His Tail
• Cops Arrest Lab Tech In Annie Le Murder
• Suspect Arraigned (live blog)
Wednesday, Sept. 16:
• Ex-Girlfriend “Shocked” About Annie Le Target
• Cops Stake Out Annie Le Target’s Motel
• Annie Le Case: It’s Coming Down To The DNA
• Annie Le Was Strangled
Tuesday, Sept. 15:
• City, Yale Learned From Jovin In Annie Le Case
• Suspect In Annie Le Case Has Fiancee
• NBC Producer Trampled At Annie Le “Briefing”
• Cops Take DNA From Annie Le Target
• Was That Annie Le’s Killer?
Monday, Sept. 14:
• Body Identified As Annie Le
• “Serious” Suspect In Annie Le Case
• You Can Get In The Wall With A “Butter Knife”
• Lab Building Shuts Down
Sunday, Sept. 13:
• Remains Of Annie Le Believed Found; “A Time For Compassion,” Levin Says
• Annie Le Hunt Extends To Hartford
Saturday, Sept. 12
• Focus In Annie Le Probe Less On “State Lines”
Friday, Sept. 11, 2009
• City Cops Join Search For Annie Le; $10,000 Reward Posted