Police said Shawn Clark was found inside a vehicle Monday, days after his latest arrest, and an autopsy will determine the cause.
MOBILE, AL— Shawn Broxton Clark, a 59-year-old neurosurgeon facing child pornography charges in Mobile and Baldwin counties, was found dead Monday afternoon inside a vehicle on Airport Boulevard, police said. Authorities said an autopsy will be performed to determine his cause of death.
Clark died with criminal cases still pending in both counties and before scheduled November court proceedings could take place. He faced five counts of possession and five counts of production of child pornography in Mobile County, along with four possession counts in Baldwin County. Clark had pleaded not guilty earlier in the proceedings, and none of the allegations had been decided at trial.
Mobile police responded Nov. 2 to 6901 Airport Boulevard, where Clark was found inside a vehicle near a former urgent care facility. His defense attorney, Christine Hernandez, told FOX10 News that she discovered him and called emergency dispatchers. A 911 transcript obtained by the station showed Hernandez contacted authorities shortly after noon after locating Clark in the vehicle.
Police said there was no initial indication that Clark’s death involved a criminal act. “At this time, this does not appear to be a criminal case, but an autopsy will be performed to determine the cause of death,” the department said. A law enforcement source separately told FOX10 News that investigators believed Clark died by suicide, but police had not announced an official cause or manner of death as of Tuesday.
Clark had been arrested again Oct. 30 following a Mobile County grand jury indictment containing five possession counts and five production counts. He was released that day on a signature bond requiring him to return for court proceedings. His Mobile County preliminary hearing had previously been moved to Nov. 5, while a Baldwin County hearing had been rescheduled for Nov. 10.
The investigation became public Sept. 3, when authorities arrested Clark after searches connected to his home near Fairhope and his medical office in Mobile. Investigators said the case developed after a March tip concerning possible child sexual abuse material associated with internet addresses tied to those locations. Authorities said investigators encountered material involving real children as well as artificially generated images. Officials said the five production counts filed in Mobile County involved AI-generated material.
After Clark initially left the Mobile Metro Jail, he was booked into the Baldwin County jail on four additional possession charges stemming from the same investigation. A Baldwin County judge set bond at $100,000 on each count, for a total of $400,000. The court also imposed conditions that included GPS monitoring, surrender of his passport, limits on travel and a prohibition on contact with minors if he were released.
Clark remained in the Baldwin County jail for several weeks. During that detention, Baldwin County authorities said he survived an apparent suicide attempt and was taken to a Mobile hospital for medical treatment before returning to custody. Jail records later showed he was released from the Baldwin County facility on Oct. 10. Police have not publicly connected that September incident to his death Monday.
The criminal allegations also affected Clark’s medical career. Alabama medical regulators suspended his license in September while the cases were pending. The Alabama Board of Medical Examiners and Medical Licensure Commission lists a Sept. 29 order summarily suspending the medical license of Shawn B. Clark and setting a hearing. The licensing action was separate from the criminal proceedings.
Clark’s death leaves the allegations against him unresolved in court. The charges remained accusations at the time of his death, and no trial had produced a determination of guilt. Mobile police said the death investigation was awaiting autopsy findings, and authorities had not announced when a final cause and manner of death would be released.
Author note: Last updated November 3, 2026.