By: Shane Lambert
Original publication time: November 5th, 2026
Pennsylvania State Police have identified James Richard Clark Sr. as the killer of Susan Rush, 21, murdered in 1976, and Brenda Ritter, 18, murdered in 1977. Both women were sexually assaulted and strangled in Washington County, Pennsylvania. The murders took place about six months apart.
By May 2025, investigators had linked the two murders through matching DNA profiles. Subsequent testing identified Clark, whose DNA was recovered at both crime scenes. Clark, who was 19 and 20 at the time of the murders, had never been a suspect. He worked as a long-haul trucker and died of natural causes in July 2023, aged 66.
Police have not identified additional victims but believe his extensive travels may warrant further investigation.
Source: Charna Flam, PEOPLE, November 4, 2026. Additional reporting cited: The Observer-Reporter, CBS Pittsburgh and WPXI.
Site Staff Commentary: Contemporaneous Journalism
Looking back at the original journalism concerning Susan Elizabeth Rush, the first account I found appeared in the November 26th, 1976, edition of The Pittsburgh Press. Some of the details in modern journalism do not quite match the journalism details from 1976. In some of those cases, that could be because facts have become clearer over the years. In other cases, it could be because there has been obscuring. I don’t present the original journalism as authoritative, but as food for thought for my readers.
The first account of her disappearance states that she disappeared on Wednesday, November 24th, 1976. She worked at Murphy’s Mart, which sounds like a convenience store, until 5 pm. Her brothers reported her missing when she did not return home by midnight. That time, midnight, became her time of death, which would be either extremely late on November 24th or extremely early on November 25th, depending on which side of the stroke of midnight she died on.
Her mother’s vehicle, presumably the vehicle that Susan Rush was operating, was found at 9:58 am on Thursday. The vehicle was parked near her workplace. Her dead body was found in the trunk of that vehicle. The article below contains a reference to another murder in the area.
A few years later, she was mentioned again. The article below detailed the murder of Margie Marie Fitch in an article titled “Strangler’s Victim Was Well-Liked.” It detailed other murders of women in the area, including strangulation victims. Brenda Ritter is mentioned, but there are more.
The first account of contemporaneous journalism related to the murder of Brenda Lee Ritter appeared on May 20th, 1977, in The Pittsburgh Press.
In his reporting, Wisser did document a disturbing series of murders involving young women in Washington County and surrounding communities. The article described the killings of 17-year-old Debbie Caviola, 16-year-old Mary Irene Gency, 21-year-old Susan Elizabeth Rush, and a fourth victim, Brenda Ritter. Their bodies were discovered in separate locations, and the circumstances included sexual assault, strangulation, and other forms of violence.
Looking back at the journalism from the time, it seemed like they were aware that something of a serial nature was going on. However, the term “serial killer” was not really used that much at the time. That said, only the Rush murder and the Ritter murder have been linked.
Caviola’s case has been solved with a conviction. There is an online PDF file on the matter if someone wants to have a look. There was also a conviction in the Mary Irene Gency case of a separate individual. So, while the murders did look alike, it was a case of similar crimes being considered by separate people. That said, since James Richard Clark Sr. has been linked to two murders, his whereabouts are interesting to track. He was called a serial killer in the People.com article with the link to multiple murders.
James Richard Clark Sr.
This section will be a work in progress, enhancing details as more information is found. He is on my radar for future research.
Born: March 9th, 1957
Died: July 17th, 2023 (66); online obituary
Residence: Washington, Pennsylvania (called a lifelong resident in his obituary)
Profession: Long-haul trucker, according to the People.com article (this is significant because his trucking routes become part of his whereabouts; the FBI’s Highway Serial Killings Initiative is something readers should be aware of)
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