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New York Post
Son of Creedence Clearwater Revival drummer Doug Clifford accused of murdering girlfriend, is person of interest in second killing
By Nicholas McEntyre,
9 hours ago
The son of Creedence Clearwater Revival drummer Doug Clifford has been accused of killing his California girlfriend who disappeared six days before her suspected body was discovered off a highway in Nevada.
Brent Clifford, 55, was booked into South Placer County Jail on a homicide charge in connection to the death of Patricia Portella-Wright, who was reported missing after not showing up for work on Aug. 9, ABC10 reported .
Portella-Wright, 48, was last seen five days earlier on the morning of Aug. 4, according to the Placer County Sheriff’s Office.
Police and search and rescue squads recovered a body believed to be Portella-Wright’s in an embankment off Mount Rose Highway in Washoe County, Nev., on Thursday.
“Through investigation we obtained information that led us to the area of Mt. Rose Highway. Using a drone we were able to locate the body of a female down a steep embankment,” the sheriff’s office said.
Brent Clifford, 55, was booked into South Placer County Jail on a homicide charge in connection to the death of Patricia Portella-Wright. ABC 10
Police, who “tentatively identified” the body as Portella-Wright, were awaiting confirmation from the Washoe County Coroner’s Office.
They have not identified a motive behind the killing, but said there is “apparent foul play involved.”
Cops had identified Clifford as a person of interest in Portella-Wright’s disappearance as they say she was last seen with her boyfriend.
Patricia Portella-Wright, 48, was last seen on Aug. 4 before her suspected body was recovered on Thursday. ABC 10 Police and search and rescue squads recovered a body believed to be Portella-Wright’s in an embankment off Mount Rose Highway in Washoe County, Nev. Placer Sheriff/X Brent Clifford is the son of Doug Clifford, the founder drummer for Creedence Clearwater Revival. Getty Images
Clifford was also named a person of interest in a homicide in Reno, Nev., after the Reno Police Department said he traveled to the city from the Tahoe area on Aug. 9 to visit a friend, the Reno Gazette Journal reported.
William Andrews, 68, was found with a gunshot wound to the head on the 1300 block of Keystone Avenue in Reno, according to police and ABC 10.
Clifford is believed to have stolen Andrews’ red 2003 Chevrolet Blazer.
Clifford was taken into police custody just before 4 p.m. Aug.14 in Portola, Calif., on an active warrant for identity theft charges related to Portella-Wright’s disappearance. ABC 10 Clifford is believed to have stolen Andrews’ red 2003 Chevrolet Blazer. ABC 10
The car was later spotted driving westbound on Highway 70 in California, leading police to Plumas County, police said.
Clifford was taken into police custody just before 4 p.m. Aug.14 in Portola, Calif., a 60-mile drive northwest of Kings Beach, on an active warrant for identity theft charges related to Portella-Wright’s disappearance.
He was charged with homicide and booked into Placer County Jail after the body was recovered.
Clifford is ineligible for bail, jail records viewed by The Post showed.
Brent Clifford is the son of Doug Clifford, the founder drummer for Creedence Clearwater Revival.
The band, which consisted of John Fogerty, Tom Fogerty, Stu Cook and Doug Clifford, was first inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993.
He was charged with homicide and booked into Placer County Jail after the body was recovered. Placer Sheriff/X
They were the first major band to sign on to play at the 1969 Woodstock music festival in upstate New York.
After the group disbanded in 1972, Cook and Clifford formed Creedence Clearwater Revisited, where they performed from 1995 to 2020.
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