BRUTAL KILLING
Son of rockstar Doug Clifford ‘linked to two murders’ as woman’s body found down steep cliff & man killed 26 miles away
Police have yet to release possible motives for either killing
THE son of rock legend Doug Clifford has been arrested on suspicion of murdering his ex-girlfriend and named as a suspect in the killing of another person.
Brent Clifford, 55, is the son of Doug Clifford, aka Cosmo — a Rock & Roll Hall of Famer and the founding drummer of Creedence Clearwater Revival.
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The younger Clifford was taken to jail by California police on Wednesday on charges related to identity theft.
He was rebooked for murder on Thursday after police discovered a body on a steep incline off of Mount Rose Highway — about 25 miles away from Reno, Nevada — that was "tentatively" identified as Patricia Portella-Wright.
"It is with heavy hearts that we share today, (August 15th, 2024) we have found the body of a female believed to be Patricia Portella-Wright," the Placer County Sheriff's Office wrote in a statement on X.
"The body was found off Mt Rose Highway in Washoe County Nevada. We are waiting on confirmation of the identification from the Washoe County Coroner’s Office."
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The 48-year-old woman, who went missing on August 4, was last seen with her boyfriend, Brent, according to witnesses who spoke with police.
"Right now, detectives are working to interview anybody that might have information on what occurred; friends, family members, acquaintances," Placer County Sheriff's Office representative Lieutenant Dave Smith said in a press conference on Thursday.
"Our investigations unit does as good of a job as they possibly can to discover any information that might lead to the information about what happened."
Police have not released a potential motive for the murder but said there was “apparent foul play involved," according to local ABC affiliate KXTV.
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A SECOND KILLING
Brent was also wanted for questioning in connection to the murder of a man in Nevada just days later.
The Reno Police Department is seeking information from Brent about the shooting death of William Andrews, 68, a friend of the suspect who was found dead from a gunshot wound on Sunday, as reported by the Reno Gazette Journal.
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Andrews's body was discovered only 26 miles away from the corpse of Portella-Wright.
Investigators said they believe that Brent traveled from Tahoe to Reno to visit Andrews on August 9 and allegedly stole Andrews' car.
The victim's red 2003 Chevrolet Blazer was spotted driving westbound on Highway 70, police said.
A possible motive for the second murder has yet to be released by the police.
Brent has been charged with identity theft and the murder of his ex-girlfriend, according to the Placer County Jail's in-custody roster.
The suspect is currently sitting in Placer County Jail and is ineligible for bail.
He faces a sentence of 25 years to life behind bars if found guilty of the murder of Portella-Wright.
NOW IN-FAMOUS
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Doug Clifford, popularly nicknamed Cosmo, is well-renowned for his contributions to rock music.
The 79-year-old kicked off his career as the drummer for Creedence Clearwater Revival and his trajectory continued to soar as Doug began a solo career in 1972 with hits like I'm A Man and I Just Want to Cry.
Brent's Facebook page, public records, and people who knew him confirmed that he was Doug's son to local KXTV reporters.
Doug's social media account on X (@dougcosmo) has been deactivated and his profile on Facebook (@DougCosmoClifford) has been set to private or deleted.
A Google search revealed that the rockstar has had the profiles for years but did not regularly share content.
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Doug has yet to make a public statement concerning Brent's arrest or his son's pending murder charges.
The U.S. Sun was not able to reach the rockstar for comment.
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