Missing Sacramento County man found dead in shallow grave, girlfriend arrested

By Lindsay Weber

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    RIO LINDA, Calif. (KCRA) — A man reported missing in Sacramento County last year was found murdered and buried in a shallow grave on a Rio Linda property, the sheriff’s office said. The man’s live-in girlfriend was arrested for murder, but investigators believe an accomplice may still be out there.

Matthew Clark, 47, was reported missing by his brother in January 2024 after an argument with his girlfriend, 38-year-old Sofia Fermin. Officials said Clark’s brother told them Fermin had recently sold Clark’s pickup truck and other property.

Months later in June, Clark’s truck was found in San Joaquin County, the sheriff’s office said. They found fingerprints belonging to 42-year-old Jerry Mulford inside.

But it wasn’t until September that homicide detectives took on Clark’s disappearance, officials said. Through their investigation, they had reason to believe Fermin shot Clark after an argument in December 2023 and that his body may be buried on a property on U Street in Rio Linda.

In December, detectives and the FBI searched the Rio Linda property and found “a mummified male body,” which was later determined to be Clark after an autopsy, the sheriff’s office said. He had been shot five times and his death was ruled a homicide.

Fermin was arrested on Dec. 23 and was booked into the Sacramento County jail for murder.

A warrant was issued for Mulford for accessory after the fact, but he has not been found. Detectives believe he may have left California.

Fermin is scheduled for a court hearing on March 27. She is ineligible for bail.

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