Goshen man sentenced in slaying of roommate

From: South Bend Tribune, IN
Nov. 8, 2002

Defendant shows little emotion to 50-year sentence

Tribune Staff Report

GOSHEN -- A Goshen man was sentenced to 50 years in prison Thursday for strangling his roommate to death in December.

Kenneth Clawson showed little emotion at the hearing in Elkhart Circuit Court, answering Judge Terry Shewmaker's questions clearly and directly.

The 40-year old pleaded guilty last month to a charge of murder, just days before his trial was set to begin.

Clawson and his roommate, Timothy Clement, 48, were drinking heavily one Saturday night in the Goshen apartment they shared, authorities have said.

They got in an argument, apparently over whether or not Clement should apply for a fishing license. It escalated, and Clawson strangled Clement.

Clement was deaf and relied on a hearing aid. A Goshen detective said shortly after the murder that Clawson confessed he strangled the man "to shut him up."

Clawson called police some time after his roommate fell silent, but Clement was dead when paramedics arrived.

Shewmaker sentenced him to 55 years, the standard prison term for murder, and suspended five years.

"This case is unfortunately one of those cases where people are so out of their minds with alcohol that they get into fights over nothing," said Clawson's attorney, Brent Zook. "(Clawson) is going to be living with this every day of his life and regretting what he did."

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