Elmer Smith Pleads Guilty in Clifford Case | Tucson News

A 21-year-old man, Elmer Smith, walked away with a seven-year sentence for burglary and car theft—far less than the 12 years prosecutors sought—after testifying against Jack Upchurch, who was recently convicted for the murder of Good Samaritan Paul Clifford. Smith’s cooperation helped secure Upchurch’s guilty verdict. Meanwhile, 16-year-old Wendy Scott, who was present during the shooting, received six years of probation. County Attorney Laura Conover praised the team’s work on the high-stakes case, calling Clifford a hero, while acknowledging the family’s disappointment over how the prosecution handled the case—though she emphasized that legal strategy is driven by public safety, not victim preference. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/9b84d2bb69400ad1