The price of Clara Belle Webb’s life was $165.00 in cash and $3.00 in Food Stamps.
The late-summer air infiltrated the tar pavement as persons, unaware of the time’s stopwatch, visited with other townspeople, unaware of the tragedy occurring at 113 West Main Street, downtown Smithville, Tennessee. When known, the empty spaces became a jumbled circumference of mass confusion. It was laid bare and seemed to exist only in the frail minds of prying onlookers who continued circulating the temporarily untouched downtown premises.
Located behind Webb’s Grocery counter was the murder weapon - an antiquated, sharp, and stainless-steel ice pick. The killer was Jimmy Ray Hale, a DeKalb County native, who calmly admitted nine-days-later to local police officer, Richard Jennings, that he did stab Webb more than 16 times. The culmination of blood residue was perplexing and somewhat nauseating to the investigators and to the nosey crowd. Today, the ice pick and monies used in the murder are stored in the local courthouses’ evidence room, as is the double-strand pearl necklace she was wearing at the exact moment of the murder on that fateful day in the fall season.
For further historical evidence today, Hale received a life sentence for Webb’s murder and immediately was taken to the West Tennessee State Penitentiary in Hemming, Tennessee, located not far from the Memphis area. It is a learning-center for convicts, such as landscaping, farming, computer skills, etc. Webb will die here.
The pointless murder occurred on September 7, 1985 – 38 years ago in downtown Smithville, Tennessee. The chosen location was Webb’s Grocery, located at 113 West Main Street, which today is the boutique 615 Threads. Local financier Phillip Cantrell, the proprietor of Cantrell’s (Fluty’s) Clothing, whose establishment was located adjacent to the grocery store, said, “There were many people congregating in this vicinity, although I never heard any noises coming from the building.” Regardless, any tragic news in Smithville becomes fader for almost every person imaginable. It’s a never-ending cycle and it is never broken.
It behooves me at the number of persons gathered to “see what was going on!” in the small incorporated Model City. To set the record straight from injurious rumors without any remorse, and to further substantiate the end to the years-long false tales, I immediately telephoned the West Tennessee State Prison in Hemming, Tennessee (Lauderdale County) where Hale is, and always has been, incarcerated to inquire about these unsubstantiated, yet mythical, rumors, which have casually and incorrectly levitated throughout DeKalb County for more than 38 years. In retrospect, at the time of the murder, Hale was 6’ 3” tall and weighed 155 pounds. Additionally, he had brown hair, blue eyes, and a fair complexion. Yes, he could have very easily overpowered Webb, as she was an elderly and dainty local businesswoman, who loved all and harmed no one.
To reiterate, the innocent, honest and loving victim was Clara Belle Calhoun Webb, age 87. “She always was dressed immaculately,” said local attorney and historical annalist, Sarah Jane Cripps, “And her store was up-front with everything you could ask for – sandwiches, gum, candy, etc. It was much like today’s complete 24/7 service centers. It did not, unlike today, offer any gasoline or automobile parts for sale.” The uncouth and uncivilized perpetrator was Jimmy Ray Hale, age 23 years at the time of the blatant murder. He and his family originated from the Liberty, Tennessee area of DeKalb County. Hale’s date of birth is January 16, 1963, while Webb’s was on August 18, 1898. Currently, Hale is 61 years old. If Mrs. Webb was alive, she would be 126 years old.
The transgressional formation of events, outlined by Cripps, follows: On the day of the murder, Hale walked into the grocery store and just decided that he would rob Webb. He needed money and thought she would have plenty by owning a grocery store. “When he arrived inside the store, he asked Webb to make him a ham sandwich and then immediately walked to the back of the store,” said Cripps. She further elaborated that he stopped while glancing at the meat cleaver. (This was in the food section of the grocery). Then, toward the back of the store, said Cripps, she began slicing the ham with the meat cleaver at which time Jimmy Ray grabbed it from her hand. He then grabbed the ice pick, which was lying on the counter, adjacent to where they were standing. Hale then stabbed Webb 16 times. Blood was scattered everywhere and was on everything.”
The autopsy report conclusively revealed Webb had been stabbed numerous times in the chest and in the back; there were two stab wounds on the right side of her forehead; and a sharp penetrating wound was found on her right hand. Her pearl necklace remained untouched.
“These wounds proved fatal for Mrs. Webb,” said Cripps. “She died immediately in her store and was found lying on the floor.” The blood range was exemplary and manganous. And, while only taking a mute amount of money, Cripps was somewhat puzzled and made the following punctual statement, “If Hale needed money so badly, it puzzles me as to why he did not take Webb’s jewelry, etc.”
Following the robbery of her limited amount of money, Hale immediately ran behind the College Street building housing the Smithville Cumberland Presbyterian Church, located at 201 South College Street, on the southern side of the town square. During this time, he changed into cleaner clothes and discarded his bloody clothes in the Church’s yard. In the back of the Church was a small opening between the air conditioning unit and an exterior concrete wall where Hale dropped the bloody ice pick. Then, he inched between the crevices and stomped the ice pick into the dirt. “The murder was a mindless asinine act for drugs and money.”
Webb was buried at Whorton Springs cemetery in Smithville. She was the widow of Herman Medley, who died in 1977. They were married on June 25, 1925. This was Herman’s second marriage. The couple had four children: Ina Ruth Bess; Jo Evelyn Underhill; Janelle LaFever and Ray Morris Webb (1941-2018), age 77.
Read at Ray’s eulogy was the following: “Everything I have or will ever be, I owe to Mama and Daddy. My sisters and I are truly blessed for having them as parents.”
Mrs. Webb would be proud.
