Missing sacramento man found buried in shallow grave; girlfriend arrested, accomplice still at large

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A woman has been arrested and a second suspect remains at large after authorities discovered the body of a missing man buried in a shallow grave nearly a year after his disappearance, the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office said.

Matthew Clark, 47, was reported missing in January 2024 after an argument with his live-in girlfriend, Sofia Fermin, 38. The case took a turn when Clark’s pickup truck was found in San Joaquin County in June, with fingerprints belonging to 42-year-old Jerry Mulford inside.

During questioning, Fermin initially claimed she did not know Clark’s whereabouts but later suggested he was in a rehabilitation facility. By September, homicide detectives took over the case and determined Clark had likely been shot in December 2023 and buried on a property in Rio Linda.

In December 2024, authorities executed a search warrant at the location and uncovered a mummified male body in a shallow grave. An autopsy confirmed it was Clark, who had suffered at least five gunshot wounds. Fermin was arrested on December 23 and remains held without bail at the Sacramento County Main Jail, with her next court appearance scheduled for March 27.

Mulford is still at large and believed to have fled the state. Authorities urge anyone with information on his whereabouts to contact the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office or Sacramento Valley Crime Stoppers.

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