Ian McCarthy has been sentenced to life without the possibility of parole for the August 6, 2017 killing of Clinton Police Officer Gary Michael.
Michael, who at the time was a rookie police officer who had been with the force less than a year, pulled over McCarthy on Green Street inside Clinton city limits. McCarthy fatally shot Michael and fled the scene in his SUV, which crashed a short distance from the scene of the crime. McCarthy evaded capture for nearly two days before being taken into custody.
McCarthy’s trial was held in Jackson County, MO, where he was found guilty of first-degree murder in June of 2023. Henry County prosecutors did seek the death penalty in this case; however, the jury failed to reach a unanimous agreement regarding sentencing. Missouri state law does allow a trial judge to impose the death sentence in cases where jurors are unable to agree unanimously regarding sentencing.
A Jackson County judge sentenced McCarthy to life without the possibility of parole in a sentencing hearing held in Jackson County on Friday, September 8th.
