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Steuben man charged with second-degree murder skips court appearance

A Wayland man was taken into custody on an arrest warrant after skipping a court appearance related to a second-degree murder charge in Steuben County.

Judge Patrick McAllister issued the warrant for the arrest of 30-year-old Derek Clark after he failed to show up for a scheduled court appearance.

Now he’s being held on $50,000 bail or $100,000 bond.


He faces an array of felony charges stemming from a September 14, 2020 crash that killed his 6-year-old daughter.

His vehicle left the road, struck a guard-rail, then hit a telephone pole before overturning. Clark’s daughter, Leah, was pronounced dead at the scene.

Prosecutors say the second-degree murder charge stems from the ‘depraved indifference’ clause. He was under the influence of drugs during the crash.