Cedar Rapids man arrested in Sparks murder

CEDAR RAPIDS - Darlesha Flowers called him brother. Her daughter called him uncle.

And on Thursday, Flowers learned that man - 23-year-old Robert L. Nash IV, of Cedar Rapids - was under arrest for the death of Clifton Sparks, the father of her 5-year-old daughter.

Flowers, who learned of Nash's arrest for first-degree murder and first-robbery from members of Sparks' family, was hit hard by the news.

'I called him my brother,” Flowers, crying, said of Nash. 'I knew him for years. I talked to him after (Clifton) died. He hugged me and my daughter and told me he was sorry this happened.”

Flowers said she had no idea Nash was a suspect in the case, only that police had apparently searched his home at some point in the investigation. Flowers said she assumed it was because Nash was one of the last people Sparks spoke with before his death in February 2014.

Sparks, 31, was found dead in street in the 1800 block of B Avenue NE at 12:30 a.m. Feb. 4. Police - who have previously been tight-lipped about Sparks' cause of death - said the man was shot once in the chest. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police said their investigation showed that Nash had robbed and shot Sparks around 11:40 p.m. Feb. 3.

Flowers said she wasn't aware of any problems between Sparks and Nash. The three of them all hung out together, she said.

Now, Flowers said she wants to know why Nash allegedly pulled the trigger.

'It's not right that I've got to explain to my daughter that someone she called her uncle killed her dad,” she said. 'That's not fair.”

If convicted of first-degree murder, Nash would spend the rest of his life in prison. First-degree robbery carries a sentence up to 25 years in prison.