Stephen Clare, 53, was sentenced to life in prison without parole for the capital murder of his 11-month-old daughter, Willow Gardner, and for attacks on his other young daughter and ex-wife. The sentencing followed his guilty plea to the charges stemming from an April 2023 incident in San Antonio. Authorities described the crimes as brutal and horrific.
On April 10, 2023, Stephen Clare arrived angrily at the San Antonio home of his ex-wife, Mariah Gardner, and chased her around the house, according to surveillance footage reported by local media. He shot Gardner multiple times and then stabbed their daughters, 11-month-old Willow and 2-year-old Rosalie. Willow died from her injuries, while Gardner and Rosalie survived after undergoing multiple surgeries and were expected to make full recoveries.
Gardner sustained five or six broken bones, seven gunshot wounds, and a 10-inch incision on her abdomen. San Antonio Police Officer Veronica Butler, who responded to the scene, testified that she applied pressure to Gardner's wounds and spoke to her to keep her conscious, fearing she might die. Gardner's two sons from a previous relationship escaped through a window and reached a neighbor's home safely.
Clare was arrested about 1.5 miles from the scene. At a November court hearing, a Texas Department of Family and Protective Services worker testified that Clare claimed he could not remember the events of the day.
The couple met in October 2017, had Rosalie in August 2020, and married in June 2021. Gardner filed for divorce in February 2022, shortly before Willow's birth, with the decree finalized in December 2022. Despite shared custody, Gardner reported concerning behavior from Clare in the months prior, including stalking—driving past her house up to 20 times a day—and disturbing statements. She described him as having "two separate personalities," one controlling and argumentative, the other sweet.
Clare pleaded guilty on the Friday before his sentencing in Bexar County court. He received life sentences for Willow's murder and Rosalie's attempted murder, plus another for the aggravated assault on Gardner. First Assistant District Attorney Tamara Strauch stated, "no sentence can ever restore or erase the suffering endured from the loss of Willow," but noted they had achieved a measure of justice. Since the attack, Gardner has focused on raising awareness about domestic violence.