Stephen Michael Clare accepts plea deal, receives life without parole for 2023 infant killing in San Antonio

Plea resolves capital case and removes death penalty option

Stephen Michael Clare, 53, a former nurse practitioner from San Antonio, has been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole after accepting a plea agreement tied to a violent attack that killed his 11-month-old daughter in April 2023. The agreement ended a capital case that had been moving toward a potential death-penalty trial.

In court on Friday, Clare entered guilty pleas to capital murder of a child under 10, attempted capital murder, and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. State District Judge Joel Perez imposed the life-without-parole sentence. Under the terms of the plea, prosecutors waived the death penalty and Clare gave up the ability to appeal his sentence.

What investigators say happened on April 10, 2023

Investigators said the violence unfolded the evening of April 10, 2023, at the home of Clare’s ex-wife, Mariah Lee Gardner, in the 500 block of Robinhood Place in the Northridge Park area north of Alamo Heights. Authorities said Clare arrived at the residence armed and threatened to kill Gardner and her children.

Investigators said Gardner was shot as she fled outside and was shot additional times as she tried to get back inside to protect the children. Authorities said Clare stabbed his two daughters in the stomach. Police testimony in earlier hearings described a scene in which the two children were found in a hallway with significant blood loss.

The infant, Willow, was taken to a hospital and later died. Authorities said the child died two days before her first birthday. Gardner and the surviving child, Rosalie, were hospitalized and later released after receiving medical care.

Sentencing hearing included victim impact statement

Gardner attended the sentencing and delivered a victim impact statement in court, addressing Clare directly and describing the lasting effects of the violence on their surviving child and family. Clare spoke only briefly during the hearing, confirming his identity and acknowledging the plea paperwork.

Key court outcome: The case concluded with a life-without-parole sentence, removing a death-penalty trial from the docket and locking in a non-appealable punishment.

Background raised in court filings and earlier proceedings

Court records referenced financial and personal stressors in the years leading up to the нападение. Investigators documented two federal tax liens filed against Clare: one in May 2019 for $686,359 and another in January 2023 for $808,579. An arrest affidavit also referenced a reported 72-hour mental health hold in June 2022.

Timeline of the case

• April 10, 2023: Attack at Robinhood Place; Willow later dies; Gardner and Rosalie survive.

• 2023–2026: Case proceeds through pretrial litigation, including disputes over evidence and statements.

• Feb. 27, 2026: Clare pleads guilty and is sentenced to life without parole under a plea agreement.

The plea brings legal finality to one of the most severe family-violence prosecutions in Bexar County in recent years, while leaving the life sentence as the permanent outcome.