AKRON, Ohio – Craigslist murder suspect Richard Beasley may not have to head south to face charges in the murders of three people and the attempted murder of a fourth person.
Summit County Prosecutor Sherri Bevan Walsh announced Monday that her office will prosecute Beasley in the case.
Beasley remains in a Summit County jail on unrelated charges, and has yet to be officially charged in the craigslist case.
Investigators discovered two people in late November in shallow graves in Noble County, shot to death.
It’s believed the two responded to a job ad posted by Beasley and 16-year-old Brogan Rafferty on craigslist. A third person who responded to the ad escaped after being shot in the arm. Another body was found shot to death in a shallow grave behind Akron’s Rolling Acres Mall and is believed to be connected to the case.
The decision comes after discussions between Walsh, Noble County Prosecuting Attorney Cliff Sickler, the Ohio Attorney General’s Office and the U.S. Attorneys for the northern and southern districts of Ohio.
“In deciding where and how to try this case, our primary concern was doing what is in the best interest of the victims and their families,” said Walsh. “In trying the case in Summit County, we will ensure the surviving victim and the families of the other victims do not suffer through multiple lengthy trials and will provide a more convenient location for at least some of the families and the surviving victim.”
According to Walsh, all of the criminal activity originated in Summit County. Additionally, most of the victims’ families have ties to the Stark and Summit County area.
The prosecution will be seeking the death penalty against Beasley.
