Benton Man Pleads Guilty in Traskwood Buried Body Case
By: KARK 4 News
Updated: November 20, 2012
A Benton man has been sentenced to more than a year in jail after making a plea deal in a murder case.
Saline County Prosecutor Ken Casady announced today that Jay W. Beeson, Jr., 54, pleaded guilty to kidnapping, abuse of a corpse and hindering apprehension for his role in the abduction and burial of Randall Anderson in February 2008.
Beeson had previously been charged along with Marissa Wright with the kidnapping and murder of Anderson, whose remains were found buried under a koi pond in Wright's backyard in Traskwood last year.
Wright pleaded guilty earlier this month to two counts of murder, one pertaining to Anderson, and another for the murder of Joe Lee Richards, Jr., who was also found buried in Wright's backyard. She was sentenced to serve two life terms. Court papers show Richards was killed and buried in October 2010.
In a statement to investigators, Beeson admitted that he retrieved Anderson from a field behind Wright's home and brought him back to Wright's house. He was later arrested for an unrelated crime and Wright bonded Beeson out of jail before they returned to her home where Beeson found Anderson dead and helped Wright bury him, the prosecutor's office says.
Beeson was sentenced to serve 385 days in the county jail, followed by 120 months of suspended imposition of sentence. Casady says Beeson had agreed to testify against Wright and his testimony was critical in obtaining a guilty plea against her.
Evidence developed following his charges showed that Beeson was not there when Anderson was killed and did not cause the man's death. "This sentence accurately reflects Beeson's role in the disposal of the body and his failure to inform authorities about the homicide and burial of Anderson," Casady said.
Continuing Coverage:
Traskwood Woman Pleads Guilty to Murdering, Burying Two Men
Unsealed Documents Reveal Details and Timeline of Men's Deaths in Traskwood
Saline County Prosecutor Ken Casady announced today that Jay W. Beeson, Jr., 54, pleaded guilty to kidnapping, abuse of a corpse and hindering apprehension for his role in the abduction and burial of Randall Anderson in February 2008.
Beeson had previously been charged along with Marissa Wright with the kidnapping and murder of Anderson, whose remains were found buried under a koi pond in Wright's backyard in Traskwood last year.
Wright pleaded guilty earlier this month to two counts of murder, one pertaining to Anderson, and another for the murder of Joe Lee Richards, Jr., who was also found buried in Wright's backyard. She was sentenced to serve two life terms. Court papers show Richards was killed and buried in October 2010.
In a statement to investigators, Beeson admitted that he retrieved Anderson from a field behind Wright's home and brought him back to Wright's house. He was later arrested for an unrelated crime and Wright bonded Beeson out of jail before they returned to her home where Beeson found Anderson dead and helped Wright bury him, the prosecutor's office says.
Beeson was sentenced to serve 385 days in the county jail, followed by 120 months of suspended imposition of sentence. Casady says Beeson had agreed to testify against Wright and his testimony was critical in obtaining a guilty plea against her.
Evidence developed following his charges showed that Beeson was not there when Anderson was killed and did not cause the man's death. "This sentence accurately reflects Beeson's role in the disposal of the body and his failure to inform authorities about the homicide and burial of Anderson," Casady said.
Continuing Coverage:
Traskwood Woman Pleads Guilty to Murdering, Burying Two Men
Unsealed Documents Reveal Details and Timeline of Men's Deaths in Traskwood
