Employment Background Screening - Shocking Workplace Murder Gets National Spotlight and Emphasizes Need for Better Employment Background Screening

In what can only be described as one of the greatest tragedies in the state of Connecticut, a former Yale lab technician is being charged in the strangulation murder of a fellow co-worker, pharmacology graduate student Annie Le. What is so disturbing about this story is that Annie Le’s body was discovered on Sunday, September 13, 2009; the day she was to be married. Family and friends knew from the start that something terrible had happened to her because her personality was such that she never would have run away due to having “cold feet”.

The suspect, 24 year-old Raymond Clark III, was immediately considered as the possible perpetrator because video surveillance of the lab showed both he and Annie inside of the building at the same time with only Clark leaving. Though the suspect denied any involvement from the beginning, his controlling and explosive personality has started to surface after investigators spoke with his current girlfriend as well as several others, including an ex-girlfriend. This type of questioning could have been done ahead of time by running deeper employment background screening on each of the lab workers (as government agencies do when considering someone for security clearance).

New Haven Police Chief James Lewis called this incident “workplace violence” and would not elaborate further on the details of the crime scene or a possible motive for the killing. His statement brings to light the fact that co-workers can sometimes be even more dangerous to the general population than street criminals. Here’s why; criminals in the workplace have the perfect opportunity to see when someone is working late and will be alone or to access them in a deserted parking lot. In this tragic Yale lab case, the co-worker was able to gain access to the lab on a weekend morning when he knew that Le would be there alone.

Clues that led police straight to Clark included an accidental fire alarm that had been triggered in the lab on the night Le was killed. Additionally, after investigators reviewed surveillance video, Clark was seen looking distraught and holding his head in his hands on that same night. His DNA was found on the victim as well as in the area where she was stashed behind a wall. Yale University President, Richard Levin stated that nothing in his employment history "gave an indication that his involvement in such a crime might be possible.”

Though President Lavin indicated that Yale University regularly runs employment background screening and checks for resume falsification on all of their new employees prior to hiring, a further background investigation may have revealed that Clark was a less-than-optimal person. When people close to him were interviewed after his arrest, a dark, controlling, and explosive temper was how people described his personality traits. Thorough checking for these types of red flags is an excellent way for employers to keep their workplaces safe from people like Clark.

Although proper employment background screening and verification of resumes to look for resume falsification take place at Yale, they may want to consider deeper personal background checks from now on to prevent workplace violence from occurring again. Services like Accu-Screen can give employers, as well as workers, the assurance they need to feel confident that they will be safe at work.