Henrico Commonwealth Attorney Shannon Taylor's blunders takes Richmond woman's life

Henrico Commonwealth Attorney's release of known violent predator, who raped and killed a Richmond woman, has been sentenced to life in prison

 

Thomas Clark, a Henrico County man and Richmond-area contractor, was sentenced to life in prison on Monday for the abduction, rape, and murder of Suzanne Fairman. 

Fairman, 53, was found dead in the bathtub of her Tanglewood Road home in Richmond on May 9, 2019. A knife, bandanna, glove, and iPhone cord that had been knotted and cut were found on the sink.

The Henrico Commonwealth’s Attorney Shannon Taylor had agreed to have an electronic monitoring device removed from a known convicted felon who had a long criminal record of rape and violence towards women.

Just seven days later, VCU administrator Suzanne Fairman was killed, after an electronic monitoring device was removed from her killer’s ankle. 

The suspect, 59-year-old Thomas Clark of Henrico, had been out on a $2500 bond on several unrelated charges when Fairman was killed.

Police arrested Clark, 59, on unrelated charges about a week after Fairman was killed.

Clark was found guilty of the murder, rape, and abduction in November 2021.

Fairman hired Clark to work on the deck of her home, but had problems with the workmanship, according to court testimony.

Officers went to Fairman's home in May 2019 when the VCU administrator failed to show up for a Mother's Day trip out of state.

She was found face down inside the tub of the main bathroom with water running and a bloody knife visible on the counter in the same bathroom, according to court documents.

Prosecutors said Clark held Fairman at knifepoint, raped and strangled her. His DNA was found on a bloody knife and the victim, they said.

"There is a huge amount of relief," Fairman's son Scott after the guilty verdict was read in November 2021. "I know these last two-and-a-half-years have been dreadful for my family and my friends and everybody in our life. With this verdict, I just feel like everybody can begin to heal."

Fairman was supportive of the life prison sentence for his mom's killer.

Henrico Officers die in the line of duty, HPD Chief covers up corruption

 HPD Chief covers up Commonwealth Attorney Corruption while Burying "one of his own"

       While Henrico County police officers risk their lives and die in the line of duty, HPD top brass continue to cover up the corruption of Commonwealth Attorney Shannon Taylor and Deputy Commonwealth Attorney Michael Feinmel in a case involving an international fugitive accused of distributing more than 600 kilos of cocaine in the Richmond area.

      A complaint filed in the Henrico County Circuit Court on October 6, 2021, gives evidence of HCA Taylor and DCA Feinmel accepting bribes in exchange for refusing to extradite the fugitive wanted in Henrico County for allegedly distributing 600-kilos of cocaine in the Richmond area for over 10 years.

       A complaint providing the same evidence was sent to HPD Chief Eric English and Deputy Chief Christopher Eley on January 21, 2021 and February 3, 2021, which Chief Eric English and Deputy Chief Eley refused to investigate the evidence of bribery involving HCA Taylor and DCA Feinmel.

     While Henrico's Commonwealth Attorneys are accepting bribes in exchange for protecting an international cocaine fugitive, HPD police officers are dying in the line of duty. Just recently HPD Officer Trey Marshall Sutton was killed on March 30, 2022.

     The October 6, 2021 complaint (CL21006572) filed in the Henrico Circuit Court lists 9 defendants and gives evidence that 3 generations of Henrico Commonwealth Attorneys, prosecutors and a judge have protected international fugitive Nickolas Spanos from being extradited to Virginia despite foreign authorities arresting and detaining Spanos for extradition.

    The basis of the complaint states that the fugitive, if brought back to Henrico to stand trial, could testify against "white affluent lawyers, doctors and businessmen" that were involved in the 600-kilo cocaine organization.

    Former HCA Howard C. Vick Jr. was the original prosecutor in the fugitives case and had instructed the fugitive to "leave for Greece". Howard Vick never filed an extradition request to Greece and made no attempt to have him arrested in Greece. Howard Vick resigned from the HCA office to join the fugitive's law firm McGuireWoods, who represented the fugitives family in estate holdings worth millions of dollars. Howard Vick headed McGuireWoods white collar crime division for almost 20 years until being forced to retire for his illegal actions concerning the fugitive's case.

     CA Shannon Taylor refused to extradite Spanos several times, despite the FBI demanding his extradition and assistance in the transport of the fugitive.

     Not only did 3 generations of Henrico Commonwealth Attorneys refuse to extradite Spanos, they dismissed federal UFAP and INTERPOL arrest warrants so that Spanos could renew his U.S. passport 3 times in past 20 years, the last renewal is listed on May 5, 2019.

    Also listed in the October 6, 2021 complaint is Judge Lee A. Harris Jr., the presiding judge in the Henrico County Circuit Court. The complaint gives evidence that Judge Lee A. Harris Jr. 2 issued orders denying the transport of the fugitive Spanos from Greece, despite Spanos having 13 indictments for distribution of cocaine. 

   FBI and U.S. Marshals cannot transport an international fugitive without a court order issued for his transport and travel arrangements.

    

The highly controversial complaint has had 6 Circuit Court judges recuse themselves from hearing the complaint for reason of conflict of interest.

   While HPD Chief Eric English sheds crocodile tears in the media about "one of his own" being killed in the line of duty, English has no problem sleeping at night knowing Henrico Commonwealth's Attorneys and judges are being bribed in order to protect international fugitives accused of distributing hundreds of kilos of cocaine.