Claremore man sentenced to 35 years for fatal Bedlam party crash

A judge has sentenced Clinton Cottom to 35 years in prison for driving drunk and plowing into a crowd at a Bedlam party in 2021, killing Terri McCauley and injuring four others.

What Happened?

1. Prosecutors say Cottom arrived at the party uninvited, was intoxicated, and was asked to leave after making unwanted advances toward women.
2. He later returned, drove into a crowd, and flipped a vehicle on top of McCauley, killing her.
3. Another victim suffered a fractured pelvis after being pinned beneath the wreckage.

Courtroom Arguments

Prosecutors:

1. Argued Cottom’s actions were deliberate, not a drunken lapse in judgment.
2. Sought a life sentence.

Defense:

1. Claimed Cottom was stuck in the mud and driving erratically due to intoxication, not intent.
2. Requested a 10-year sentence.

Cottom’s Statement

1. Apologized to the victims.
2. Said he wished he could change the past and claimed he is a different person now.
3. Pleaded no contest to second-degree murder and four counts of assault with a deadly weapon.

Verdict

Cottom’s sentencing marks the end of a lengthy legal process for the victims and their families.

---

Original story below...

----

A Rogers County judge will soon decide the sentence for a Claremore man charged in a deadly rampage at a Bedlam party in 2021. 

Clinton Cottom pled to second degree murder and several other charges after investigators say he was intoxicated and plowed into a crowd of people, then flipped his truck on top of Terri McCauley. She was killed and four others were hurt.

Several family members and friends gave victim impact statements during Tuesdays sentencing hearing. McCauley’s brother looked across the courtroom at Clinton Cottom and called him a cruel man and a monster who never deserves to see the light of day. 

Prosecutors showed the judge pictures from the scene and played three 911 calls from after the crash. 

They say he rammed into one of the cars, flipping it on top of McCauley, killing her. Another victim was pinned by the car and taken to the hospital with a fractured pelvis.

In addition to murder, Cottom also pled to four counts of assault with a deadly weapon. 

Since there was so much evidence and testimony Tuesday, the judge decided to finish the sentencing Wednesday morning. That’s when Cottom’s attorneys will get to argue their case. 

On Wednesday, they argued this was not an intentional act but an unfortunate accident because Cottom was drunk. His attorney's said Cottom was driving erratically that night because he was drunk and stuck in the mud.

He testified and apologized to the victims and says he wish he could go back and chance things and says he's a totally different man now than he was in 2021.

Prosecutors argue what Cottom did that night was deliberate, not an accident or a drunken lapse in judgement.

Prosecutors want Cottom to serve life in prison, while his attorney's say that sentence doesn't fit the crime and they are asking for 10 years in prison.