Wednesday night a verdict has yet to be reached in the trial of a man charged in a string of armed robberies in Albemarle County. Prosecutors say Wayne Clark of Ruckersville robbed the West Park Market to pay for a prescription drug habit.
The jury deliberated for about four hours Wednesday. Judge Sheryl Higgins released the jury at around 9:30 p.m. Deliberations are set to continue at 9:00 Thursday morning.
Prosecutors say Clark robbed the West Park Market four times over a ten-month period last year so he could buy Percocet. A jury will soon decide his fate.
Prosecutors say Clark is the man responsible for a string of armed robberies between January and October of last year. Clark is charged with grand larceny, along with robbing four customers, as well as abduction when he locked those customers in the store.
In court, prosecutors read a text message Clark allegedly sent to his girlfriend just 45 minutes before an October 7 robbery. That message read, "I've got an idea…give me a ski mask and a BB gun."
Prosecutors also say Clark was unemployed at the time, and witness testimonies match his general description - tall and skinny with a long narrow face.
In court, the defense tried to poke holes in the time frame, saying he was in Greene County when those robberies occurred.
Now it is up to a jury to go over all those charges. We will keep you updated with the latest developments in this case.
