“The Craigslist Killer” has been convicted of aggravated murder by a Jury in Akron, Ohio. Richard Beasley was charged in the deaths of three men. A forth man was shot but managed to flee to safety.
Beasley, age 53, was reportedly involved in a murder plot with 16-year-old Brogan Rafferty. The two men have been accused of working together to lure men to their death using fake help-wanted ads posted on Craigslist.
As reported by Reuters , the men lured their victims to secluded areas where they were eventually shot and buried. Beasely was reportedly the one who shot the victims while Rafferty waited in the car.
Scott Davis, age 49, was fooled by the phony ad and found himself in a dangerous situation when he ended up in the woods with the tow men. Testifying in court, Davis relayed the experience to jurors.
Davis realized the gravity of the situation as Beasley led him into the woods. When he heard Beasley cocking his gun, he tried to knock it out of his hand but was shot in the arm. Although he was injured, Davis managed to run away from Beasley and hid until nightfall. As reported by the New York Post , he made his way out of the woods hours later and eventually called for help.
Davis may be the only victim that lived to tell his story. The bodies of the other three victims were discovered in shallow graves.
Beasley, who has been called Ohio’s “Craigslist Killer,” was found guilty on Tuesday by an Ohio jury. His accomplice, Rafferty, was convicted of murder and will spend the rest of his life in prison. Rafferty contends that Beasley was the mastermind behind the murders and he only followed directions as he feared for his life.
The Ohio “Craigslist Killer” has been convicted of aggravated murder and will be sentenced on March 20. The prosecution will be seeking the death penalty.