Murder of Lee Clay by John Clark Bridges examined on Signs of a Psychopath

Oxygen is re-airing the Signs of a Psychopath investigation into the murder of Lee Clay, who was stabbed to death by John Clark Bridges in the back of the van on an interstate about three miles east of Bismarck, North Dakota.

Bridges had met the 40-year-old Clay through work, and his motive for killing him is quite bizarre. The killer told detectives he killed him and planned to kill a second man because he had a dream about them.

He allegedly dreamt the pair were taking photos and videos of him with their cellphones.

On July 6, 2012, Bridges lured Clay into the back of his van and tied him up at knifepoint. Bridges was driving on Interstate 94 when Clay managed to free himself enough to grab a hatchet and take a swing at Bridges.

Unfortunately, Clay missed his target and was stabbed by Bridges, who then whacked his victim in the neck with the hatchet. At this point, Bridges crashed the van.

Bridges told the police that Clay had died in the accident; however, the cops soon realized that his injuries didn’t match. The police charged him with murder and kidnapping.

John Clark Bridges admitted to killing Lee Clay

When Bridges appeared in court a month after the murder, he told the judge he wanted to “get this over with.” He refused repeated offers of a court-appointed attorney and insisted on representing himself.

Burleigh County Assistant State’s Attorney Lloyd Suhr told the court that despite Bridges’ claim to have killed Clay because of a dream, he had known exactly what he was doing and understood the circumstances.

After Suhr had laid out what happened, Bridges told the judge, “I’ve already given a full confession. I think they’ve pretty well described what took place.”

John Clark Bridges sentenced to life for Lee Clay murder

Before sentencing, the judge ordered psychological and psychiatric evaluations. However, Bridges officially pleaded guilty to murder and kidnapping and received a life sentence plus 20 years.

In August 2013, he stabbed a correctional officer at the North Dakota State Penitentiary with a knife fashioned out of a piece of metal and was given another 40 years.

In 2022, Bridges appealed his conviction to the North Dakota Supreme Court. He claimed that mental illness prevented him from understanding the charges against him, aiding in his defense, or filing a timely application for relief. His appeal was refused.

This episode of Signs of a Psychopath re-airs Friday at 7/6c on Investigation Discovery.