Suspect Richard Beasley charged in deadly craigslist murder plot, faces death penalty

AKRON, Ohio - A grand jury in Summit County dubbed Richard Beasley the "triggerman" and “mastermind” behind the craigslist murder plot in Noble County. A 28-count indictment has been slapped against the 52-year-old for his alleged role in luring men to a Noble County farm using a phony job ad posted on craigslist.

During a Friday news conference, Summit County Prosecutor Sherri Bevan Walsh, along with Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine, announced the much anticipated charges.

Prosecutor Walsh said at least four men were lured through the ad. Three were shot dead, one escaped.

"We still need more information," said Attorney General Mike DeWine. "Candidly, we don't know if there are more victims or not. We're dealing with serial killings here. Are there more bodies? We frankly do not know. If there are, we need to find them."

Beasley, who has been jailed on unrelated charges since November, now faces 28 new counts, including nine aggravated murder charges, kidnapping, aggravated robbery, theft and more. If a jury convicts Beasley of any aggravated murder charges, he could be sentenced to die.

"At this point, we are not contemplating a plea deal with Richard Beasley," said Walsh. "There were others contacted in this case, but I can't say how many."

“Our heart goes out to them. We’ve all lost family members, but most of us not in such a horrible, tragic way," explained DeWine, who knows how painful it is to lose a loved one. "I lost my daughter when she was 22. There's never closure. But to know what happened, to see justice and justice served, is so important."

Walsh called the murder plot the "worst of the worst." DeWine said it's horrible that "despicable" people used a legitimate tool for a "horrible" purpose.

"I was shocked and sickened," DeWine said, by the way Beasley and alleged co-partner in crime Brogan Rafferty, 16, from Stow, used the Internet to draw in vulnerable men and execute them.

"These men packed their bags, in these hard economic times, to find a job and help their family. Tragically, it ended in their death."

“We need to know if there are more bodies," said DeWine. "Please come forward if you know something. We need your help.”

A motive in the case remains unclear. But Walsh said they do know why the Noble County farm was chosen as the execution site, "but we can't discuss that at this time."

A gag order is still in place in Rafferty's case, but Walsh believes the teen "will be a cooperative witness."

Prosecutors believe Ralph Geiger was the first of Beasley's and Rafferty's victims in August 2011.

-Ralph Geiger, 56, from Akron, was shot and killed on Aug. 9, 2011. His body was found along a rural road.

-David Pauley, 51, from Norfolk, Va., was shot and killed on Oct. 23, 2011. He was later found buried in a shallow grave.

-Scott Davis, 48, from South Carolina, was shot on Nov. 6, but escaped the crime spree. He then called police.

-Timothy Kern, 47, from Massillon, was lured to the farm where he was shot and killed on Nov. 13. Kern's body was found Nov. 29 in a shallow grave near Rolling Acres Mall.

Beasley will be arraigned in Summit County Common Pleas Court on Jan. 25 at 8 a.m.