It began with a knock at the door in the dead of night, then a stranger’s voice pleading for help.
And in the remote Arizona community where father-of-two Paul Clifford,53, lived, such late night callers were so unusual his family was immediately frightened.
But Clifford was a kind man, so when the man at the door said he’d broken down and needed a jump-start, the Good Samaritan didn’t hesitate to act.
‘I said, “no don’t go we can call somebody”, he said, “no nobody is coming to help them I need to help them” and went out the door,’ his wife of 30 years Christina recalled in an interview with KVOA.
It was the last time she would ever see her husband alive. Just hours later, Clifford’s lifeless body was discovered next to a burnt out truck in the desert.
Police say the culprit includes the person that Clifford set out to help, in a horrific twist far scarier than any horror movie.
‘I feel so empty. We planned to grow old together, live into our 90s, and die of old age,’ Christina said.
The couple were getting ready for bed on December 23, when a flashlight shone through their window.
Next, they heard a call at the door and Clifford went to investigate. Christina couldn’t see who was there, but could hear a man talking.
‘He sounded nothing but sincere, “Please I broke down, I can’t get any help. I just need a jump will you please help me”,’ she said.
Clifford immediately set out in his daughter Sabrina Vining’s truck, but as the hours ticked by his family became concerned.
It was only after checking the vehicle’s GPS tracker that the alarm bells truly began sounding. The location showed the truck was in an unknown location where Clifford would never normally travel to.
Christina called 911, but it took Pima County officers more than two hours to respond.
By the time they arrived on Christmas Eve, Clifford was dead. His body was found next to a different burning vehicle just a mile from his Benson home.
Sabrina’s car was eventually traced to an apartment complex in Tucson.
Within days, law enforcement had identified three suspects who were eventually apprehended following a tense SWAT standoff.
Jack Daryl Upchurch, 40, Elmer Glenn Smith, 19, and 16-year-old Wendy Scott were taken into custody on Monday.
The suspects barricaded themselves into the residence, resulting in the standoff but eventually called 911 to negotiate a surrender. Police say they were arrested without incident.
‘That was the first happiness any of us have felt,’ Sabrina said.
‘The first breath,’ Christina added.
All three suspects were charged with first-degree murder in connection to Clifford’s death, as well as a slew of other charges included armed robbery and arson of an occupied structure.
Upchurch and Smith are each being held on a $1 million bond, while Scott’s bond was set at $500,000.
‘I need these people prosecuted to the full extent of the law, I don’t care what their ages are they were all adults and made this decision to do this to my husband,’ Christina said.
Sabrina meanwhile wants to see more done to tackle response times in the area.
‘We would like to be contacted by Sheriff Nanos and come up with some sort of a plan,’ she said.
As the family struggle to come to terms with their nightmare, they have been left with the heartbreaking task of explaining to Clifford’s grandson William, 3, where his ‘Popsy’ has gone.
‘Every night when he’s going to sleep she [Christina] gives him two kisses, one from her and one from “Popsy”,’ Sabrina said.
‘And then we tell him that “popsy’s” in our heart, and then he looks at us and goes “popsy’s” in your heart, “popsy’s” in my heart.’
The senseless brutality has been hard for almost everyone to understand, except Upchurch’s sister and Smith’s aunty Amanda Williams.
‘I am so sorry to this man’s family,’ she said. ‘I could never imagine my own brother doing this but it’s not surprising either. Words can not even begin to apologize to this family.’
The suspects are due to appear in court again on January 10.