Murder of Tommy Hope by Clara Rector investigated on Snapped

Snapped on Oxygen is re-airing the murder of Tommy Hope, who was killed by Clara Rector after he refused to give her narcotics at his home in Camdenton, Missouri.

The body of 48-year-old Hope was found on the floor of his home on April 28, 2004. He had been stabbed in the ear and his throat slashed with a butcher’s knife.

At the time, Camden County cops were suspicious of Rector as she admitted to having an affair with Hope and said she had previously bought drugs from him. However, there was no firm evidence to convict Rector, and the case soon went cold.

In the meantime, Rector changed her life around. She ditched the drugs, got married, and had children. She became a respected member of the community who helped out at the church and even wrote a Christian blog featuring testimonials, prayer requests, and photos of sunsets.

However, Rector still had a dark side. Less than ten years after killing Hope, she began stalking Pastor Jerry Sousley of the Camdenton Bible Baptist Church.

Sousley rebuffed Rector’s sexual advances but found she became more aggressive and forceful to the point when the pastor began to fear for his and his family’s safety. He eventually contacted the Camden County Sheriff’s Office.

Clara Rector surprised Camden County deputies by confessing to Tommy Hope murder

Rector had a notebook where she wrote fictitious stories detailing a sexual relationship between her and the pastor. Sousley found it at his church, and Rector was arrested when she went to retrieve it.

The police interviewed Rector about the stalking and were stunned when she suddenly confessed to the Hope murder. She volunteered information that only the killer could have known.

Sheriff Dwight Franklin told reporters, “Here was someone, a member of the community, had a family, involved in church, and I think it manifested to the point she couldn’t hold it in anymore.” The cops admitted Rector would likely have never faced justice had she not confessed.

Clara Rector sentenced to 15 years for killing Tommy Hope

Rector told the police she had gone to Hope’s home four days before his body was found, hoping to buy drugs. She said she grabbed a knife from the kitchen, jumped on his back, and slashed his throat after he told her he didn’t have any narcotics.

In November 2014, Rector was convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced to 15 years behind bars.

Rector’s father-in-law, Gerry Rector, admitted he was “blindsided” when his daughter-in-law was first arrested for stalking.

Gerry, the principal at Camdenton Bible Baptist School, said of Rector, “She’s a great mother, a hard worker, and she’s always cleaned my windows and taken care of my garden…. It’s just all beyond me. But I love her, and that won’t change.”

This episode of Snapped re-airs Tuesday at 10/9c on Oxygen.