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‘Career Criminal’ Jailed up to 87 Years for Opening Fire in Lancaster Bar, Killing 1, Wounding 2

A Lancaster man will serve up to 87 years in prison for opening fire in a city bar, killing a man and wounding two other people. Lancaster County Judge James Cu...
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A Lancaster man will serve up to 87 years in prison for opening fire in a city bar, killing a man and wounding two other people.

Lancaster County Judge James Cullen jailed Lamar D. Clark for 38½ to 87 years for the Nov. 7, 2014, shooting at Shenk’s Café on East Chestnut Street.

In May, a local jury convicted Clark, 30, of third-degree murder, aggravated assault, and related counts.

In court Thursday, Assistant District Attorney Mark Fetterman called Clark a “career criminal” and his actions culminated that Friday night at the bar.

Clark fired five shots, killing 54-year-old Barry Diffenderfer and wounding a man and a woman.

Fetterman said everyone inside the crowded bar had a brush with death when Clark turned the location into a “shooting gallery.”

Clark, in court, offered his condolences to Diffenderfer’s family, but didn’t admit to any wrongdoing, according to Fetterman.

Judge Cullen, while ordering sentence, called Clark’s statements “patent nonsense.” The judge said Clark is an extreme danger to society and needs to be incarcerated.

The judge ordered a maximum 20-to-40-year sentence on the murder charge and consecutive sentences on two aggravated assault charges and a felony firearms charge.

Clark also was convicted of 11 counts of reckless endangerment.

At trial, Clark suggested he fired in self-defense. Dozens of people were inside the bar.

During trial, Fetterman, along with Assistant District Attorney Andrew LeFever, called numerous witnesses, including several individuals in the bar that night. None of them testified to a dispute or instance of Clark being threatened by anyone at the bar.

Lancaster city police arrested Clark near the bar, shortly after the shooting, when they came upon him nude on Chestnut Street.

Lancaster city police Detective Stanley Roache filed charges.

Press release: Lancaster County District Attorney’s office.

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