Lion's Den robbed with BB gun

Wednesday, March 4, 2009
By GEOFF RANDS/Staff writer

Clyde Harlan Fisher, 50, of Boonville, has been charged with first-degree robbery with a firearm and several other felonies following the reported robbery of the Lion's Den near the junction of Interstate 70 and State Highway J at about 9:30 a.m. Tuesday, March 3.

According to the Saline County Sheriff's Department, Fisher entered the Lion's Den building wearing dark-colored pantyhose over his head and pointed what appeared to be a Glock 9 mm handgun at the clerk, telling her to open the cash register, then asking where the bags of money were.

The clerk replied that there were no bags of cash, but made available all cash to which she had access, at which time Fisher told her to lie down and count to 100, according to the report.

Fisher, having previously ordered a customer to lie down as well and remove a Bluetooth device from his ear, walked over and asked the man if he had a wallet, to which the customer replied negatively. Fisher then left the scene, according to the deputy's report.

The customer told Saline County Sheriff's deputies that he initially thought Fisher was a friend of the clerks, because he spoke to her softly and politely.

After Cooper County Sheriff's Department officers took Fisher into custody, they brought him back to the Lion's Den for eyewitness identification.

While waiting for Fisher to arrive, Saline County sheriff's deputies viewed a surveillance video of the incident, which corroborated the statements of the clerk and the customer.

At about 11:20 a.m., Fisher was returned to Saline County. He was positively identified by the clerk and the customer, according to the report.

When searching Fisher's vehicle, Hudson found "numerous monies," black gloves and a blue stocking hat containing pantyhose and cash.

He also found what appeared to be a black handgun, but on closer inspection, found it to be a BB gun.

Fisher was charged with four counts, according to unofficial online court records, including one count of class A felony first-degree robbery, one count of class B felony attempted robbery and two counts of felony armed criminal action.

Class A felony first-degree robbery is punishable with 10 to 30 years or life in prison. Class B attempted robbery carries a sentence of five to 15 years in prison. The counts of armed criminal action are punishable by no less than three years in prison on each charge.

Fisher has prior arrests for theft, possession of amphetamines and homicide capital murder, and was convicted in Texas of the murder charge on April 6, 1981.

Fisher pleaded not guilty at his arraignment Wednesday morning, March 4, which was presided over by Judge Hugh Harvey.

Bond was set at $50,000 cash-only.

Contact Geoff Rands at marshallreporter@socket.net

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Will Judge Rolf get tough and give him 30 days in the county jail with time served?? If he is good, he might get work release??

-- Posted by muddywater on Wed, Mar 11, 2009, at 6:05 PM

How the hell do you get out of prison after serving only 9 years of a life sentence?

No wonder there is so much murder in this country.

-- Posted by Gal66 on Thu, Mar 5, 2009, at 6:19 AM

Fisher was paroled from Huntsville Prison Jan 8, 1990, after serving roughly 9 years of a life sentence for a murder committed in July 1980.

-- Posted by Kathy Fairchild on Wed, Mar 4, 2009, at 6:04 PM

I suspect drugs (meth) was involved. I suspect meth was involved in all of his felonies. I'm just glad that he was packing only a BB gun and not something more lethal, especially if he was high.

If I did the math correctly IF he is convicted on all current charges he faces a practical min. of 10yrs (all other charges served concurently) to a max of 51 yrs.

If he pleas down to 2nd degree robbery using the BB-gun is less than legal argument, that the cash was recovered and returned to owner, that he was helplessly under the influence of a lifetime addiction (all true), and takes concurrent sentences on the rest, it could be 5 years. Maybe his attny can get him off for even less, like not-guilty, on a technical, or some evidence that no one is aware of right now.

Mr. DA (& Hugh): If found guilty, I would suggest he has had his chance(s) to change his ways, so it would make more sense for a sentence closer to 51 than to 5 or 10.

-- Posted by Rev WmYaeger on Wed, Mar 4, 2009, at 5:47 PM

Convicted of capital murder? How on earth was he on the streets to commit another felony and not in jail? Especially since he was convicted of capital murder in Texas, the death sentence capital of America?

-- Posted by Reader101 on Wed, Mar 4, 2009, at 5:04 PM

HOMICIDE CAPITOL MURDER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

-- Posted by marshallite on Wed, Mar 4, 2009, at 11:23 AM