Trial date set for Stow teen suspect in craigslist murder plot

AKRON, Ohio - At a pretrial hearing in Summit County Common Pleas Court, a trial date was set for Brogan Rafferty, the Stow teen accused of murder in connection to a phony craigslist job posting.

Brogan Rafferty will stand trial on Oct. 9 for the attempted murder of one man and murder of another in Noble County.

Last week, Rafferty was indicted in connection to the death of David Pauley and victim Scott Davis. Both men responded to a fake craigslist ad to work on a farm in Noble County.

Davis survived the attack.

Prosecutors said Rafferty didn't act alone. They have also tied Richard Beasley to the crimes, calling him the "mastermind" behind the deadly scheme.

Rafferty's case was earlier transferred from Noble County to Summit County because the jail in Noble County could not accommodate juveniles.

Prosecutors believe Ralph Geiger was the first fake craigslist job victim.

• 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 remains behind bars at the Summit County Jail. He's being held without bond and faces 28 charges. A trial date for Beasley has not yet been set.

Because Rafferty is 17-years-old, he is not eligible to receive the death penalty, regardless if he's tried as an adult in Summit County.