Sarah McClendon

Sarah McClendon was a White House correspondent and a close friend of Paul Wilcher. She wrote in her Washington Report on July 4, 1993, an article entitled "Death of a Friend," expressing her belief that Wilcher was a "casualty of good citizenship and patriotism."¹

McClendon had alerted authorities that Wilcher was missing. She was present at the scene after Wilcher's death but was unable to identify his body after viewing the remains. She was told that preliminary autopsy results found "no natural cause of death, and no other cause of death" to explain Wilcher's demise, despite him being in apparent good health.¹

McClendon called local police for 24 hours, imploring them to check on Wilcher. She attempted to get possession of the papers and tapes he left behind, but his family took them away. She believed Wilcher was a political prisoner, persecuted because he allegedly flew former President George H.W. Bush to Paris to meet with Iranians to make a deal to supply Iran with weapons in exchange for keeping American hostages until after the November election, ensuring Ronald Reagan's victory.¹

McClendon was also present when FBI agents arrived at Wilcher's apartment. She checked their identification, which seemed convincing. She later phoned the FBI to ask about the presence of FBI agents, and James V. Desarno, Jr., Assistant Special Agent in Charge from the D.C. Metropolitan Office, arrived. Desarno strongly denied that the FBI was interested in or involved in the case, despite the presence of multiple agents.¹

McClendon petitioned Dr. Joye Carter of the D.C. Medical Examiner's office to submit forensic evidence from Wilcher's body fluids for further study, as the inconclusive autopsy results raised concerns. She also expressed her desire to submit the evidence to Dr. Mason, a top forensic toxicologist.¹