5 key details about Anita Clark's murder

Anita Clark's murder is the focus of Fatal Family Feuds on Oxygen Season 2 episode Disappearance in the Desert, aired on April 20, 2025, at 7 PM ET/PT. The case, involving a 60-year-old woman who vanished from her home in Phoenix, Arizona, in 1991, gradually unravelled a disturbing chain of family discord, resentment, and conflicting loyalties.

Anita Clark’s stepson, Billy Clark, soon emerged as a suspect after investigators discovered he had sold her Mercedes-Benz in San Diego just days after her disappearance.

According to multiple sources, including a Phoenix New Times report dated November 20, 1991, and court records cited in Clark v. Murphy (2003), Billy later confessed to killing Anita Clark during an argument, disposing of her body in the Arizona desert, and leading authorities to the burial site.

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5 key insights about Anita Clark's murder explored

Fatal Family Feuds on Oxygen revisits a chilling domestic crime in its latest episode, Disappearance in the Desert, aired on April 20, 2025. Here are five key insights from the case.

1) Anita’s strained relationship with her stepchildren

The episode highlights how Anita Clark’s relationship with her stepchildren, Billy and Margaret, was tense. After marrying wealthy rancher Bill Clark, Anita became a target of resentment. As reported by Phoenix New Times on November 20, 1991, Margaret openly admitted,

“I hated Anita.... And the only reason is that she took my Dad away from us.”

The show illustrated how such long-standing animosity may have created the conditions for conflict to escalate fatally within the home.

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2) A toxic family history spanning decades

The episode Disappearance in the Desert of Fatal Family Feuds on Oxygen explored the tangled legacy of multiple marriages and custody battles. Anita had tried to integrate Bill Clark’s children from his two previous marriages into her life, but bitter sentiments lingered, especially from Billy and Margaret’s mother, Carolyn.

As cited by Phoenix New Times, Bill reflected on how the divorce may have impacted his son’s path, saying,

“I feel guilty,....I’m sure I wasn’t a good father.”

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3) Financial resentment may have been a motive

Billy confessed to snapping Anita’s neck during an argument and disposing of her body in the desert (Representative image via Getty)

Anita Clark’s generous donations to Christian causes, reportedly around $70,000 annually, became a point of tension. According to police reports, Margaret and Billy had rummaged through Anita’s financial records and were angered by her use of Bill Clark’s money.

Detectives later testified that Billy confessed to snapping Anita Clark’s neck during an argument and disposing of her body in the desert, using her Mercedes to transport the corpse.

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4) Billy Clark’s confession and its legal controversy

Anita Clark’s stepson, Billy Russell Clark, eventually confessed to killing her and led police to her burned remains in the Arizona desert. However, the legality of that confession came under scrutiny. During his interrogation, Billy said,

“I think I would like to talk to a lawyer.”

This raised questions about whether he had invoked his right to counsel under Miranda.

As per Clark v. Murphy (2003) court records, the detective paused the interview and gave Billy time to decide. When the detective returned, Billy said he did not want a lawyer and chose to keep talking.

The Arizona courts ruled that his initial statement was too ambiguous to require a halt to questioning. Federal courts later upheld that ruling, stating it was not an objectively unreasonable interpretation of established federal law.

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5) Confession details reveal a calculated aftermath

Following the murder, Billy Clark sold Anita Clark’s silver Mercedes in San Diego, signing his father's name on the documents. The vehicle’s sale raised red flags for investigators and eventually led to his arrest.

During questioning, Billy described placing Clark’s body in the trunk and leading police to the shallow grave near Tumbleweed, Arizona. Despite his claims of panic and remorse, the court found his confession admissible, and he was convicted of second-degree murder and theft, receiving consecutive sentences of 20 and 10 years.

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