James Edmund Clarke, 72, had been missing for about three weeks before being reported on December 19, 2019. The search led investigators to a property in Beulah, Alabama, where his body was recovered from a well after a multi-agency recovery effort lasting several hours.

An autopsy found Clarke had been shot and stabbed. Authorities arrested 58-year-old Hubert Timothy Sprayberry of Valley, Alabama, and charged him with murder; the two men were described as acquaintances. Investigators have not released a detailed account of what happened leading up to Clarke’s death.

If anyone knew Clarke’s movements in December 2019 or has information about his relationship with Sprayberry, contact the investigating agency.