Robert Paul Warner was 50 when he was shot and killed in Eatonville, Washington, on July 28, 2019, following a dispute over a trailer. Warner, his girlfriend, and her son had parked the trailer on property where 25-year-old Hobert Wayne Clark was acting as landlord for his parents. Clark, recently released from prison, objected to their presence and demanded they leave; after they moved the trailer, Clark returned later that afternoon armed with a shotgun he retrieved from his motorcycle.

Witnesses say Clark pointed the shotgun at the girlfriend’s son. Warner tackled Clark to protect the boy; Clark then fired the shotgun at close range, fatally striking Warner in the chest. Clark fled on his motorcycle and his then-girlfriend, 33-year-old Christina Kitchens, removed the shotgun, placed it in her car, and drove away. Both were arrested days later.

Clark pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, first-degree assault, and first-degree unlawful possession of a firearm and received a 26-year prison sentence. Kitchens pleaded guilty to first-degree rendering criminal assistance and was sentenced. Warner’s family described him as a loving man who sacrificed his life to protect a child.

If anyone knew Warner or was at the scene that day, please share what you remember.