Nebraska Family Seeks Answers in 1972 Disappearance of Young Informant

A Nebraska family is seeking information about the 1972 disappearance of Marialice Clark, who vanished shortly after reportedly becoming an informant for the FBI at age 12. Her brother, Ed Clark, is appealing for answers as he ages, hoping to learn his younger sister's fate.

Omaha Police Sergeant Brett Schrage, who leads the missing persons unit, described the enduring mystery of Marialice's disappearance as deeply frustrating. The case was reopened in 2019, and Ed's great-niece, Jennifer Jackson, has been assisting in the search for information for the past three years, aiming to provide Ed with closure.

Ed Clark last saw his sister on their Omaha home's front porch. Marialice told him she was going to visit a friend nearby. Ed, who is two years her senior, advised her to inform their mother, but Marialice never arrived at her friend's house and never returned home.

Her mother searched for hours, checking with neighbors and at the Bali-Hi Lounge, a place Marialice frequented. Initial police reports suggest Marialice may have entered a car with "Chicago plates" near the lounge. When her mother attempted to report her missing the following morning, police reportedly dismissed it as a runaway case.

In 2021, a letter from the Nebraska Attorney General's Office brought to light police reports from 1970 concerning Marialice. An ATF Search Warrant document indicates that Special Investigator Thomas Sledge interviewed a 12-year-old Marialice on July 15, 1970. The interview occurred shortly before a warrant authorized a search of a nearby house occupied by members of the National Committee to Combat Fascism, an organization associated with the Black Panther Party.

According to the warrant, Marialice told Sledge that her older sister, Linda, was a member of the Black Panther Party. Ed Clark stated that Linda had dated Edward Poindexter, a leader of the group. The document further alleged Marialice described machine guns, dynamite, and bomb-making activities at the group's residence.

However, both Ed and Jennifer Jackson question the validity of Marialice's alleged interview with Sledge. They doubt that a 12-year-old would have been in contact with the ATF and possess such detailed knowledge of weapons, or that the agency would interview a minor without parental consent. Jackson also noted that the warrant misspelled Marialice's name.

The family believes Marialice may have been endangered by her inclusion in the warrant, which they suspect may have been fabricated. Approximately one month after her supposed interview, Omaha Police Officer Larry Minard was killed in an explosion in an abandoned home. David Rice and Edward Poindexter were convicted in connection with the incident, but maintained their innocence, alleging a conspiracy involving government agencies.

Family members were told Marialice was placed in witness protection, a claim Ed and Jackson do not fully believe. Ed was unable to speak with Investigator Sledge before his death, and federal agencies have reportedly stated they have no records pertaining to Marialice. Her mother died at 95 without knowing what happened to her youngest daughter.

"I hope I get to see my baby before I die," Ed recalled his mother saying. Jennifer Jackson added, "We just want her to know that we did not give up." Marialice Clark would be 68 years old today.

Anyone with information regarding Marialice Clark's disappearance can contact the Omaha Police Missing Persons Unit at 402-444-4123 or the Police Department's front desk at 402-444-5818.