Repo Agency Owner Murderer Dead by Suicide

Greenville County, SC – June 2, 2024 – Last Tuesday we reported the arrest of a repossession agency owner for murder. As it turns out, we may have misrepresented their roles in the company and it now appears that the victim was the owner. Not that any of it matters much anymore since the accused, 39-year-old Michael Robert Clarkson was found hanging in his cell Friday at the Greenville County Detention Center.

As previously reported, On Tuesday May 28^th, the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office at a residence at on Velo Way, in Travelers Rest where they discovered the body of 40-year-old Colleen D’Orton, aka; Colleen D’Ortona, Colleen Clarkson, the victim of a murder.

Due to evidence gathered at the residence and a prior history of domestic violence at this residence, Investigators were quick to name 39-year-old Michael Clarkson and 38-year-old Cherith Crown to the death of the D’Ortona.

At 1:30 the same day, police conducted a raid on a business at 3216 New Easley Bridge Rd. in nearby Greenville. Police in SWAT gear successfully breached and cleared the business and forensic investigators gathered evidence. The identified business are two repossession agencies operating under the name South Carolina Finance Adjusters and, Mid Atlantic Asset Recovery, LLC.

By 3:30 that same day, Clarkson and Crown were arrested at a nearby Day’s Inn by Greenville County deputies with the assistance of the Anderson County Sheriff’s Office in Anderson County.

The next day, Clarkson was initially charged with murder and Crown with accessory after the fact of murder and obstruction. Both were being held at Greenville County Detention Center and held without bail.

Clarkson didn’t last a week. On Friday May 31^st, deputies discovered Clarkson hanging in his jail cell. He was rushed to Prisma Health Greenville Hospital and pronounced dead the following day on Saturday, May 1^st.

Officials said at this time the case and manner of death is still pending. An autopsy is scheduled for Monday, June 3.

The Ownership Question

As I’d mentioned son after the story unfolded, there were some odd backgrounds on these two. First, of which was the press’s claim that Clarkson was the agency owner, which I can find no evidence of. Most evidence points to Colleen D’Orton, aka Colleen Clarkson, as being the actual repossession agency owner.

Every internet search on Mid Atlantic Asset Recovery, LLC shows the President of the company as “Colleen Clarkson”.

Looking at their websites, they list themselves as some major companies in the repossession industry. Among those, SCFA lists themselves as an “Affiliate” of the ARA. Check the ARA website and they are not listed as members, nor on their affiliate Corporate Members Page are they listed. Associate Members, Vendor Associate Members, nope.

On their website for Mid Atlantic Asset Recovery, LLC, they list themselves as not only being their “Partners” at the bottom of the page, but they state the following;

Repo Agency Owner Charged with Murder — Office and lot of South Carolina Finance Adjusters and, Mid Atlantic Asset Recovery, LLC

Over 11 Million reasons to feel safe with us.

Mid Atlantic is proud to be able to say that we carry the most progressive insurance coverage in our industry with insurance binding us for over $11,000,000.

We are covered by a $5,000,000 bond through both The American Recovery Association, and Time Finance Adjusters, with an additional $1,000,000 through Allied Finance Adjusters.

WHOA! Pump the brakes. Time Finance Adjusters? Time Finance Adjusters, the TFA, merged into the ARA way back in 2018. The AFA shows no membership of them.

Troubled Pasts

Upon Clarkson’s arrest, the press were quick to point out that Clarkson had numerous arrests for various crimes including domestic violence.

Local press reported that records provided by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) show Clarkson’s criminal history dates back to 2004. Between 2005 and 2009, he was indicted for criminal domestic violence at least five times, according to SLED. He has also faced assault and battery, grand larceny and drug possession charges among others.

Last week I had mentioned that a source had advised me that Clarkson had demonstrated some erratic behavior well before this tragic event. It was reported to me that Clarkson had made death threats to an employee of a repossession forwarding company who had subsequently closed out all of their assignments with South Carolina Finance Adjusters.

It is usually in poor taste to drag up dirt on a victim and while I have no intention to impugn the deceased, there are some alleged incidents in her past that illustrate that Clarkson was not the only troubled one in this relationship.

Looking at a four year old comment on Mid Atlantic Asset Recovery, LLC’s BizHub page a user named Kristin G., made some very salacious allegations of criminal history by both of them.

Prior to her incidents in Florida, it is alleged that she also had a 2010 arrest in Massachusetts for charges of forgery. It is also alleged that in May of 2013, Clearwater Florida Police arrested D’Ortona” as she was named under animal cruelty and drug charges.

Then, in 2014, in Pinellas County Florida she was re-arrest while on probation and charges with another charge of animal cruelty and several drug possession charges.

Crown on the other hand, appears to have been a new cog in this volatile relationship. In a bond hearing on Wednesday, Crown’s attorney asked the judge to consider granting her a bond, saying she is a mother and real estate agent with no previous criminal history. However, the judge did not grant her bond.

Whatever the reason or motive for all of this was is meaningless at this point. Two people are dead and a local single mother with no apparent record got caught up in this. This is a sad story any way you look at it and not a good reflection on the repossession industry.

Source: FOXCarolina