Scared Monkeys Discussion Forum

Craigslist slaying case widens; Akron man, Stow teen are suspects

By Phil Trexler
Beacon Journal staff writer
Published: November 23, 2011 - 12:00 AM
 http://www.ohio.com/news/break-news/craigslist-slaying-case-widens-akron-man-stow-teen-are-suspects-1.246804 (http://www.ohio.com/news/break-news/craigslist-slaying-case-widens-akron-man-stow-teen-are-suspects-1.246804)

 ::snipping2::
A Stark County man has not been seen since interviewing for a job on Craigslist this month, his family told authorities.

Meanwhile, a Stow man said Tuesday he interviewed for the same job last month and met with a suspect in at least two shootings related to the Internet help-wanted ad.

The Nov. 13 disappearance of Timothy Kern, 47, of Massillon, coincides with the shooting death of one man and the shooting of another man, each of whom responded to an ad seeking someone to oversee a Noble County property.

One man’s body was unearthed last weekend, days after another man was shot in the arm while fleeing his would-be employer.

“Just got one of the strangest job offer,” Kern wrote on his Facebook page Nov. 10. “A good offer but strange. The job is to watch over 680 acres south of cambridge. Odd jobs and such but mainly just secure it. Trailer, utilities, salary. Drawbacks? No cell phone service, kids are up here, and i have to move this sunday. Life can be such a bitch sometimes.”

Kern’s son, Zachary, posted on a personal blog Sunday:

“Today when I woke up I was told that my father was one of the three people killed by the latest Craigslist killer. My father answered to an ad on Craigslist about a job opportunity involving a 688 acre farm and housing in a 2 bedroom trailer.
 ::snipping2::

Richard Beasley, 52, of Akron, is considered a suspect in the Craigslist shootings. He is being held in the Summit County Jail on unrelated charges. Authorities say Beasley placed the ads that led to the shootings.

Brogan Rafferty, 16, a junior at Stow-Munroe Falls High School, is being held in a juvenile detention facility on complicity charges.

The FBI issued a news release Tuesday after meeting with Kern’s family. An FBI spokeswoman declined further comment based on a gag order placed on the Craigslist shootings last week.
 ::snipping2::
Deputies in Noble County began investigating a possible robbery and shooting Nov. 6. A South Carolina man told deputies he was lured to Marietta to meet with two men about an ad on Craigslist seeking a worker to help on a 688-acre cattle ranch.

That man was shot when he visited the property with the men. He hid for seven hours until he was able to reach a home and call for help.

Five days later, a Boston woman called deputies about her missing twin brother. She believed he answered the same Craigslist ad. Based on the information, deputies returned to the area where the Nov. 6 shooting occurred. On Nov. 15, a body was found in a shallow grave.

Authorities have not released the name of either victim, citing the judge’s gag order.

The Columbus Dispatch has identified the wounded man as Scott Davis, 48, a former Canton resident. The dead victim is identified as David Pauley of Virginia.
 ::snipping2::

I think this is one of the perps:

 https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000108351524&sk=wall (https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000108351524&sk=wall)

(https://fbcdn-profile-a.akamaihd.net/hprofile-ak-snc4/27361_100000108351524_3675_n.jpg)

The teenager:

(http://www.wkyc.com/images/300/169/2/assetpool/images/111118041307_brogan.jpg)

Akron: Craigslist suspects planned to steal identities
1:06 AM, Nov 19, 2011
 ::snipping2::
AKRON -- Richard Beasley's desire to stay out of prison prompted a deadly scheme to kill others and assume their identities, sources tell Channel 3 Akron Bureau Chief Eric Mansfield.

As a career criminal, the 52-year-old Akron man was likely facing hard time on new charges of drug trafficking and promoting prostitution, sources said, so he'd been on the run for months to include changing his hair color to maintain his disguise.
 ::snipping2::

A source close to the investigation tells Mansfield that surveillance photos showed Beasley meeting with at least one of the victims at a restaurant in Marietta, Ohio, prior to driving to a wooded area of Noble County where the alleged killing took place.

Investigators traced the on-line ad to a computer IP address in Akron, which led them to Beasley, whose cell phone was tracked by authorities, leading to his apprehension on Wednesday on Johnson Street, sources said.

The plot included finding men who were single and had no immediate family so that once their bodies were in the ground, no one would come looking for them, sources said
 ::snipping2::

http://www.wkyc.com/news/article/215725/6/Akron-Craigslist-suspects-planned-to-steal-identities?obref=obinsite  (http://www.wkyc.com/news/article/215725/6/Akron-Craigslist-suspects-planned-to-steal-identities?obref=obinsite)

Florida Craigslist jobseeker found dead in Ohio, another shot

10:27 AM, Nov 18, 2011

 http://www.wkyc.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=215499 (http://www.wkyc.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=215499)

CALDWELL, Ohio - A sheriff says a jobseeker from Florida has been found dead and another from South Carolina has been shot after they responded to a Craigslist ad for a job on an Ohio cattle farm.

Noble County Sheriff Stephen Hannum said Thursday two men were taken into custody after cadaver dogs found the body of the Florida man this week in a shallow grave in a remote area.

He says the search was undertaken after the South Carolina man escaped from the area Nov. 6 and notified police, who then found a grave they believe had been dug for him.

He says the two men had responded to a bogus listing for a job as cattle caretaker at a 688-acre farm. He suspects robbery was the motive. The men's names haven't been released.
 ::snipping2::
Hannum sent a press release out just after 6 p.m. Thursday:

"This will be a brief statement to inform the residents of Noble County and others about an ongoing investigation. This investigation involves the shooting of a South Carolina man that answered an ad posted on Craig's List and probably the murder of another man."

The following is a timeline of events: November 6th around 7:30 p.m. my office received a call from a resident on Rado Ridge Rd. in  Enoch Twp. A deputy sheriff and United Ambulance were dispatched and I was notified. I arrived on scene just outside the community of Fulda and found a white middle aged man being treated for a gunshot wound to the right arm."

"I interviewed the man who I'll call victim number 1 just for clarification, and I discovered he had been lured to Noble County after answering an advertisement on Craig's list. The advertisement was a job offer for a man to care for cattle on a 688 acre property."

"Victim number one met 2 people in Marietta and had breakfast together. Victim number one drove his own vehicle to Caldwell where he parked his vehicle and got in with the 2 suspects. The three men rode together to Don Warner Rd in Stock Twp. The victim was told the road was closed due to a landslide. The victim and one of the men exited the vehicle and began walking through the heavily wooded area."

"Victim number one heard what he thought was a gun being cocked. He turned to see a gun pointed at his head. He deflected the gun and ran. As he was running from the gunman, he was shot in the arm. The gunman continued to shoot as the victim ran. The victim successfully hid in the woods for the next 7 hours before making his way to a house to call for help. I reported this incident to the local media the following day."

"On Friday evening Nov. 11th my office received information from a woman in Boston Mass. Her twin brother was missing. The report is her brother had answered an advertisement from Craig's List and she felt very sure it was the same advertisement victim number one had answered.  The information is her brother was last seen Oct 22. in Parkersburg West Va."

"The woman advised us she has filed a missing persons report with that agency. In light of this new information law enforcement returned to the crime scene on Don Warner road and discovered what appears to be a hand dug shallow grave. The grave is empty however it did give credibility to the theory that if the gunman had planned to kill and bury victim number 1, then is it possible there is a victim number 2."

"On Monday Nov. 14th members of my staff, FBI and BCI special agents, along with cadaver sniffing dogs returned to the crime scene on Don Warner Rd.  We were successful in locating pieces of what we believe are evidence pertaining to the shooting of victim number one.  On Tuesday Nov. 15th once again members of my staff, FBI, BCI and other cadaver sniffing dogs returned to the crime scene on Don Warner Rd.  This time around 3:30 pm we discovered the body of a white male buried in a shallow grave."

"The gravesite is in close proximately to the location where victim number one was shot. The body has been transported to the Licking County Coroner's Office where an autopsy is being performed today.  At present time the body has not been positively identified. At this time I will not be releasing the name of victim number one or the name of who we believe to be victim number two."

"We presently have two suspects in custody. Neither of the two suspects are residents of Noble County. We believe the attempted murder of victim number one and the likely murder of victim number 2 are connect and possibly committed by the same person."

 ::snipping2::

"I don't want to release the names of the suspects. I will say this matter is still under investigation and other arrests are possible. The gambit of charges connected to this case could range from kidnapping and theft to murder and attempted murder. The crime scene is approximately 10 miles from my office. Victim number one walked approximately 2 miles before feeling safe enough to ask for help. Also, Don Warner Rd. is presently closed."
 ::snipping2::

video at link also


The mother of a 16-year-old teenager accused in the Craigslist murder and attempted murder plot is speaking out.

Posted: Nov 21, 2011 11:32 AM CST Updated: Nov 22, 2011 5:17 AM CST

 http://www.woio.com/story/16092304/mother-of-teen-accused-in-craigslist-murder-speaks-out (http://www.woio.com/story/16092304/mother-of-teen-accused-in-craigslist-murder-speaks-out)

The mom of Brogan Rafferty, Yvette Rafferty, says the adult arrested with her son, 52-year-old Richard Beasley. She also said her family trusted Beasley.

"He knew of nothing": Mother of teen accused in Craigslist murder speaks out

Brogan's mom says she felt he was leading him on a Faith-based christian journey, never dreaming the journey would lead him to Noble County and end in murder. She visited her son over the weekend through thick jailhouse glass.

"He just looked like a scared kid," said Yvette Rafferty.

Yvette was there when detectives came calling last week and questioned Brogan about events in Noble County. What she heard leads her to believe her son was unsuspecting.

"I've known Rich since 2000. He was a friend of ours supposedly," said Yvette Rafferty. "He said he knew nothing of what was going on.  But he was along for the ride.  He drove him.  He drove Rich."

Richard Beasley was what you might call a self-styled storefront preacher. After he got out of prison he began to take ex-cons and drug addicts in at his Akron home. He met Brogan Rafferty at a bible study group and quickly became a mentor.

"Rich to me was Chaplin Rich Beasley.  And a friend.  A man of God.  A man of God," said Yvette Rafferty. ::snipping2::

(http://woio.images.worldnow.com/images/16092304_BG2.jpg)

Craigslist Ad Murder: Dad Says Teen Was Manipulated


 http://www.fox8.com/news/wjw-craigslist-ad-murder-suspect-dad-talks-kf-txt,0,2043590.story (http://www.fox8.com/news/wjw-craigslist-ad-murder-suspect-dad-talks-kf-txt,0,2043590.story)
 ::snipping2::
By Kevin Freeman Fox 8 News Reporter

10:30 p.m. EST, November 18, 2011
STOW, Ohio—
The father of a local teen charged in a southern Ohio murder scheme involving a Craigslist ad said his son was manipulated.

 ::snipping2::
"He probably lied to Brogan and told him he was going down there for one thing and then once he popped a cap in that guy or something, he probably scared the hell out of him," said Rafferty.

Rafferty said his family has known and trusted Beasley for more than 20 years.

Brogan's parents said Beasley became a mentor to Brogan, often taking him to church and on outings to feed the homeless.

"As Brogan got, like, to be a teenager, not so often, but him and Rich had a friendship," said Rafferty.

Earlier this year, after Beasley was charged with running a prostitution ring, Michael said he told Brogan to stay away from him. But he said Brogan and Beasley secretly stayed in touch.

"This man corrupted my son this way, and I really would like to think that he doesn't have this in him, that he was just in a bad spot and fooled by this guy and something happened and he was in over his head and just didn't feel he could turn back."

Michael Rafferty said Brogan told him and his ex-wife that Beasley threatened to kill all of them, if Brogan went to police.
 ::snipping2::

Body Found in Ohio May Be 2nd Craigslist Ad Victim, FBI Says

Published November 25, 2011

 ::snipping2::
CLEVELAND –  A body found Friday in a shallow grave near a mall in Akron, Ohio, may be a second killing connected to a phony Craigslist job listing that lured victims into a deadly robbery scheme, according to the FBI, which has checked up on applicants to see if they're still alive.

The body was found Friday within sight of the Rolling Acres shopping mall, agency spokeswoman Vicki Anderson told The Associated Press.

The cause of death and identity are under investigation, but the FBI is working on the supposition that the body may be that of Timothy Kern, 47, of Massillon, who hasn't been seen in more than a week, Anderson said.

 ::snipping2::
 http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/11/25/body-found-in-ohio-may-be-2nd-craigslist-ad-victim-fbi-says/ (http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/11/25/body-found-in-ohio-may-be-2nd-craigslist-ad-victim-fbi-says/)

Posted: 11/20/2011
 ::snipping2::
COLUMBUS, Ohio - The mother of a jailed Ohio man said Saturday her son has "a very caring heart" and was a mentor to a teenager charged in a deadly robbery scheme in which police say victims were lured with bogus help-wanted ads on Craigslist.

Carol Beasley told The Associated Press that she spoke to her son Richard and she prays that a newspaper report that he is a suspect is not true.
 ::snipping2::
Richard Beasley, 52, was in jail on unrelated charges when police arrested two suspects in the robbery scheme, including a 16-year-old boy Beasley's mother says he befriended. The teenager was charged Friday with attempted murder. A judge issued a gag order in the case, and the names of the two victims and the adult suspect, who so far has not been charged, were not released.
 ::snipping2::
Richard Beasley faced previous charges in Ohio, including aggravated menacing, tampering with evidence, possession of criminal tools and illegal cultivation of marijuana, court records show. He also was convicted in Texas of burglary and unauthorized use of a motor vehicle in 1985, sentenced to a 40-year prison sentence and placed on parole for 34 years in 1989.

more
http://www.newsnet5.com/dpp/news/local_news/akron_canton_news/woman-says-her-son-a-mentor-to-accused-akron-teen-in-craigslist-plot

In Custody on unrelated charges

RICHARD JAMES BEASLEY
Offender ID: 47086
Date of Birth: 06/15/1959
Age: 52
Race: White Gender: Male 
Custody Status: In Custody
Location of Offender: Summit County Jail

https://www.vinelink.com/vinelink/detailsAction.do?siteId=36001&agency=40&id=47086&searchType=offender (https://www.vinelink.com/vinelink/detailsAction.do?siteId=36001&agency=40&id=47086&searchType=offender)

Posted: 11/25/2011

Timeline of events in Noble County craigslist job ad robbery/murder case

NOBLE COUNTY, Ohio - There have been many developments in the Noble County craigslist job posting robbery/murder case. Below is a timeline of events we’ve put together:
 ::snipping2::
NOVEMBER 6: A man from South Carolina is shot in the arm in rural Noble County, when he answers an ad about a job on craigslist. He escapes and tells police. That week, police begin searching the area.
 ::snipping2::
NOVEMBER 13: Massillon man Timothy Kern is last seen in Plain Township. His father said his son interviewed for a job advertised on craigslist.

more
http://www.newsnet5.com/dpp/news/state/timeline-of-events-in-noble-county-craigslist-job-ad-robbery-murder-case

in the link to the timeline and the link to Beasley mothers story are
links to other stories about found bodies in ohio,and else where
there are bodies being found all over ohio,in the last 2 months,it is
hunting season,gives me hope that the skeltons,and markham will be found
too,as well as all the other missing,these missing people need to come
home,
 ::MonkeyAngel::

 ::snipping2::
Richard Beasley faced previous charges in Ohio, including aggravated menacing, tampering with evidence, possession of criminal tools and illegal cultivation of marijuana, court records show. He also was convicted in Texas of burglary and unauthorized use of a motor vehicle in 1985, sentenced to a 40-year prison sentence and placed on parole for 34 years in 1989.

Beasley was in the Summit County jail Friday on drug trafficking, compelling prostitution and fugitive-from-justice charges when police made arrests in the robbery scheme. The Associated Press generally does not report the names of minors charged with crimes. A message left with an attorney for Beasley listed on court documents was not returned.

http://www.newsnet5.com/dpp/news/local_news/akron_canton_news/woman-says-her-son-a-mentor-to-accused-akron-teen-in-craigslist-plot
Read more: http://www.newsnet5.com/dpp/news/local_news/akron_canton_news/woman-says-her-son-a-mentor-to-accused-akron-teen-in-craigslist-plot#ixzz1epSx6Uf4

3rd body possibly tied to Craigslist ad identified
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/story/2011-12-03/body-identified-ohio/51614860/1?csp=34news&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+usatoday-NewsTopStories+%28News+-+Top+Stories%29&utm_content=My+Yahoo  (http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/story/2011-12-03/body-identified-ohio/51614860/1?csp=34news&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+usatoday-NewsTopStories+%28News+-+Top+Stories%29&utm_content=My+Yahoo)

 ::snipping2::
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) – Authorities identified the body of an Ohio man Saturday who could potentially be the third victim of a bogus Craigslist ad that lured two jobseekers to their deaths.

The body of Ralph Geiger was found in a shallow grave Nov. 25 in the same area another body was found last month in the heavily wooded area in southeastern Ohio, Noble County Sheriff Steve Hannum said.

Hannum, under a gag order from a judge, did not say whether Geiger, 56, of Akron, answered the same ad promising farmhand work that authorities say led to the deaths of two other men.

"Recent events of an ongoing investigation led authorities to Mr. Geiger's gravesite," Hannum said in a statement. He would not comment on the cause of Geiger's death, but said the investigation is ongoing.

Jobseekers who interviewed for the ranch work were told they'd earn about $300 a week, have a place to live and a vehicle to drive, authorities said. But they were also warned there was no cellphone service in the area.

The alleged scheme apparently targeted middle-aged men with few family ties. A woman in her 20s who answered the ad in October said she never heard back.
 ::snipping2::

http://www.ajc.com/news/nation-world/possible-3rd-ohio-craigslist-1252459.html
Possible 3rd Ohio Craigslist victim died in August
December 6, 2011

COLUMBUS, Ohio — A man suspected of being the third fatal victim of a deadly Craigslist robbery scheme died in August, weeks before the suspected killings of two other victims, according to the man's death certificate.
The body of Ralph Geiger was discovered Nov. 25 in Noble County in rural southeastern Ohio during an investigation into two other deaths and the wounding of a fourth man.

Noble County Coroner Alan Spencer lists Geiger's date of death as around Aug. 9, according to a copy of Geiger's death certificate obtained Tuesday by The Associated Press.

Authorities believe the other victims were killed in October and November.

Police have identified the suspects as a 16-year-old high school student and a 52-year-old self-styled preacher.
 ::snipping2::
Geiger, 55, of Atlanta, never married, according to his death certificate. Pauley, 51, of Norfolk, Va., was divorced and living with his brother and desperate for work when he answered the ad, according to a friend.

Pauley died Oct. 23 of a gunshot wound to the head, and his body was found Nov. 15 close to where Geiger's body would be found.

Timothy Kern, 47, of Akron, was last seen Nov. 17 after leaving for Akron to drop off his car and be taken to the fake farm. He was divorced and took the job to help support his three sons. His body was found near an Akron shopping mall on Nov. 29.

A memorial service for Kern was scheduled for Tuesday evening at a funeral home in Massillon in northeast Ohio, where he lived. The 6:30 p.m. ceremony will follow an hour of visitation.

Suspect Richard Beasley, 52, will be tried in Summit County and could face the death penalty. He has denied involvement in the slayings.

The other suspect, Brogan Rafferty, 16, currently faces juvenile charges of aggravated murder and complicity to aggravated murder and is expected to be transferred to adult court next week.
 ::snipping2::

http://www.onntv.com/content/stories/2011/12/06/story-craigslist-murder-update.html
New Details Released In Craigslist Murders
December 6, 2011

 ::snipping2::
Authorities said that Richard Beasley, 52, placed the Craigslist ads that lead to the deaths of the three men and injuries to a fourth victim.

Brogan Raftery, 16, is accused of helping Beasley in the shooting and killing of David Paulie, 51, of Virginia and shooting of Scott Davis, 48. Davis got away.

Rafferty is expected to be tried as an adult. Rafferty's mother said that there is no way her son did this.

"Brogan looked up to Chaplin Rich Beasley. For 10 years he took Brogan to church and bible studies. I am not trying to dog Rich since I wasn't there and I don't know, but my son did tell me that he didn't do it."

A hearing is scheduled for Rafferty on December 15. As for Beasley, he is in the Summit County jail on a $1 million bond on unrelated charges of drug trafficking and prostitution.
Video at Link

http://www.abc6onyourside.com/shared/newsroom/top_stories/videos/wsyx_vid_15053.shtml
Suspected Craigslist Killer Twice Wrongly Released
December 8, 2011

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/12/15/us-crime-craigslist-idUSTRE7BE1U820111215
Juvenile to be tried as adult in "Craigslist" killings
By Kim Palmer
December 15, 2011

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/teen-faces-arraignment-ohio-craigslist-killings-15709489
Teen Faces Arraignment in Ohio Craigslist Killings
By THOMAS J. SHEERAN Associated Press
February 17, 2012

Prosecutors in Ohio are moving ahead with plans for an adult trial for a teenager charged in the shooting deaths of three men lured by phony Craigslist job offers.
 ::snipping2::
Rafferty is charged with three counts of aggravated murder, attempted murder, aggravated robbery, kidnapping and grand theft.

On Thursday, a juvenile court judge scheduled a three-day hearing in April on whether to try Rafferty as an adult.
 ::snipping2::

I hear the mother's concern about manipulation, but when or when are people going to take responsibility for their actions.  After all, it didn't happen just once.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/02/23/us-crime-craigslist-idUSTRE81M1U320120223
Trial date set for teen in Craigslist murder case
By Kim Palmer
February 23, 2012

(Reuters) - A judge set an October 9 trial date for an Ohio teen charged with the murder of one man and attempted murder of a second man who responded to a bogus Craigslist ad last year.

Brogan Rafferty, 17, was charged as an adult with the murder of David Pauley, 51, and the attempted murder of Scott Davis, 48, in a rural county east of Columbus. He pleaded not guilty to those charges last week in Summit County court in Akron.

Summit County Judge Lynne Callahan on Wednesday set the trial date for Rafferty.

Rafferty also faces murder charges as a juvenile in two other killings linked to Craigslist ads that could be moved to adult court. Rafferty was 16 years old at the time of the killings and ineligible for the death penalty under Ohio law.
More...

http://www.newsnet5.com/dpp/news/local_news/oh_summit/trial-date-set-for-craigslist-murder-suspect-richard-beasley
Trial date set for Craigslist murder suspect Richard Beasley
February 29, 2012

AKRON, Ohio - A trial date has been set for an Akron man suspected in the shooting deaths of three men who authorities say were lured to a rural area by bogus job ads on Craigslist.

A Summit County judge on Wednesday set a Jan. 7 trial date for 52-year-old Richard Beasley of Akron.
 ::snipping2::

http://www.ohio.com/news/local-news/trial-scheduled-in-early-2013-for-suspect-in-craigslist-killings-1.267642
Trial scheduled in early 2013 for suspect in Craigslist killings
By Ed Meyer / Beacon Journal staff writer
Published February 29, 2012, Updated March 1, 2012

A Jan. 7 trial date was set for Richard James Beasley after a government attorney informed Summit County Common Pleas Court that there are more than 14,000 pages of documents to turn over to the defense.
 ::snipping2::
Attorneys for both sides are prohibited from commenting on the case outside of court under a gag order imposed by Summit County Common Pleas Judge Lynne S. Callahan.

Beasley, 52, was charged last month in a 27-count indictment containing multiple counts of aggravated murder, death penalty specifications and other charges, including identity theft.

Authorities said previously that they have linked three deaths and one attempted murder to a Craigslist help-wanted advertisement. Victims were allegedly lured to work on a nonexistent Noble County farm about 100 miles south of Akron.

The victims in the slayings were David Pauley, 51, of Virginia, Timothy Kern, 47, of Massillon, and Ralph Geiger, 56, of Akron.

A surviving victim, Scott Davis, a former Canton resident living in South Carolina, was shot Nov. 6 while touring the bogus farm property with two men authorities contend were Beasley and 17-year-old Brogan Rafferty of Stow.
 ::snipping2::
In view of the task confronting the defense, Pierce asked for and was granted a June 1 deadline to file initial motions in Beasley’s defense.

Rafferty, who is expected to be tried as an adult on multiple counts of aggravated murder and other offenses, is being held in the county’s Dan Street juvenile detention center.

The former Stow-Munroe Falls High School student is awaiting a three-day juvenile court hearing in April to determine if there is probable cause to transfer his case to adult court.

Rafferty cannot face the death penalty under Ohio law because he is a juvenile.

http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/article/Jury-being-picked-in-teen-Craigslist-killings-case-3930685.php
Jury being picked in teen Craigslist killings case
October 9, 2012

KRON, Ohio (AP) — A teenager charged in a deadly scheme to lure victims with phony Craigslist job offers went on trial on murder charges Tuesday, waving to prospective jurors when he was introduced in court and taking notes and conferring with his attorneys during jury selection.

Brogan Rafferty, 17, of Stow, is being tried as an adult. He and his co-defendant, Richard Beasley, 53, of Akron, have pleaded not guilty. Beasley will be tried separately.

Three men were killed last year — two in Noble County in southeast Ohio and one found slain in Summit County near an Akron shopping mall — after responding to what authorities said were bogus online job postings.

Rafferty, who was then 16, is suspected of helping Beasley lure victims with bogus job offers.

Rafferty cannot face execution because he was a juvenile at the time of the crimes. Instead, he could face life in prison.

Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty against Beasley.
 ::snipping2::
Despite the case's high profile, the judge said she wasn't looking for jurors who hadn't heard anything about it, but jurors who could put any preconceptions aside and listed to the evidence.

The body of David Pauley, 51, of Norfolk, Va., was found on Noble County property owned by a coal company and often leased to hunters.

Timothy Kern, 47, of Massillon, was found in a shallow grave near an Akron-area shopping mall. He had been shot in the head.

The body of Ralph Geiger, 55, of Akron, was found in Noble County, dead of a gunshot wound to the head.

A South Carolina man, Scott Davis, escaped after being shot in the arm by hiding in woods until it got dark. He has been subpoenaed to testify at Rafferty's trial.

Beasley was a Texas parolee who returned to Ohio in 2004 after serving time on a burglary conviction. He was awaiting trial on prostitution and drug charges when authorities took him into custody.

Police have said a halfway house he ran in Akron was a front for prostitution. Authorities said he was a mentor for Rafferty and had befriended him.

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2012-10-12/news/sns-rt-us-usa-crime-craigslistbre89b1do-20121012_1_ohio-craigslist-murder-brogan-rafferty-ralph-geiger
Wounded survivor testifies as Ohio Craigslist murder trial opens
October 12, 2012

AKRON, Ohio (Reuters) - A man lured to Ohio by a phony Craigslist job ad testified on Friday that a teenager charged with trying to kill him waited in a car while an accomplice walked into a heavily wooded area with the victim and shot him last November.

"I heard a curse word. I heard a gun cock. I knew I was in trouble," Scott Davis, 49, testified as the first witness called by prosecutors in the trial of Brogan Rafferty.
 ::snipping2::
Davis told jurors he sold a landscaping business in South Carolina to move closer to his parents in Ohio and met Rafferty and Beasley when he responded to an ad for a farm hand.

He spun around when he heard the cocking sound, saw a gun pointed at his face and was shot in the right elbow as he tried to push the gun away, Davis said.

"I ran as fast as I could but I kept falling down," Davis said. "He continued to fire at me as I ran out of the woods and out into the road."

Davis said he hid in a partially dried up creek bed listening for Rafferty's car and walked for help hours later, still badly bleeding, as it got dark. The bullet was surgically removed and he spent five days in the hospital.

When asked if Rafferty seemed to be under duress when he met him, Davis said: "He didn't look nervous or scared."
 ::snipping2:
The Ohio trial before Judge Lynne Callahan is set to resume on Monday and could last six weeks.

http://www.kvue.com/news/national/174926301.html
Official: Ohio teen in Craigslist case seemed calm
October 19, 2012

AKRON, Ohio (AP) — A school official says an Ohio teen charged in a deadly scheme to lure victims with phony Craigslist job offers seemed calm and nonchalant after authorities interviewed him about the deaths.
The (Canton) Repository reports that suspect Brogan Rafferty's former high school assistant principal testified Friday that Rafferty described himself after last year's interview at his high school as "cold blooded."
More...

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/10/25/case-ohio-teen-defendant-in-craigslist-slayings-trial-goes-to-jury-after/
Case of Ohio teen defendant in Craigslist slayings trial goes to jury after closing arguments
October 25, 2012

AKRON, OHIO –  A jury is deciding the case of an Ohio teenager accused in the slayings of three men lured by phony Craigslist job offers.

Prosecutors in Akron concluded their case Thursday by portraying defendant Brogan Rafferty as a full accomplice who knew what he was doing and ignored opportunities to contact police.

Summit County prosecutor John Baumoel (bow-MEL') says Rafferty was a partner with adult suspect Richard Beasley in executing people in the woods.
 ::snipping2::
The now 17-year-old Rafferty could receive a life prison sentence without chance of parole if convicted of aggravated murder.

Beasley pleaded not guilty and will be tried separately.

http://www.kvue.com/news/Ohio-teen-sentenced-to-life-over-Craigslist-plot-178168831.html
Ohio teen sentenced to life over Craigslist plot
November 9, 2012
AKRON, Ohio (AP) -- An Ohio teenager has been sentenced to life in prison in a deadly plot to lure men desperate for work with phony Craigslist job offers.

The judge sentenced 17-year-old Brogan Rafferty on Friday in Akron on his conviction for aggravated murder and attempted murder. Three men were killed and a fourth victim was shot but survived.

The sentencing was delayed from Monday amid talks on a deal for leniency in return for Rafferty's testimony against the alleged triggerman.

The jury rejected the defense claim that Rafferty feared for his life if he didn't cooperate with co-defendant Richard Beasley.
 ::snipping2::

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-21872757
Jury: Death for 'Craigslist killer' Richard Beasley
March 20, 2013

A jury has recommended the death penalty for a man found guilty of luring men to their deaths with bogus jobs ads on the Craigslist website.

A judge will decide the fate of killer Richard Beasley, 53, on Tuesday.

He was convicted of murdering three men in Ohio. His teenage accomplice, Brogan Rafferty, was sentenced to life in prison without parole last November.

A man who survived being shot gave harrowing testimony in both trials of fleeing for his life.

As well as aggravated murder - "aggravated" in this case because the murder was planned in advance - Beasley was convicted of aggravated robbery, kidnapping and attempted murder.
More...

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/jury-weigh-death-sentence-ohio-killer-18769272
Death Penalty Recommended in Ohio Craigslist Case
March 20, 2013

A jury on Wednesday recommended the death penalty for a self-styled street preacher convicted of killing three down-and-out men lured by bogus Craigslist job offers.

The same jury that convicted Richard Beasley made its recommendation after hearing from his mother and other witnesses who testified on his behalf in the penalty phase of his trial. The judge set his sentencing for Tuesday.

Victims' relatives hugged as the recommendation was announced. Beasley hung his head without moving, and his mother sobbed.

Beasley, 53, was convicted of teaming up with a teenager in 2011 to lure men with offers of farmhand jobs in southeast Ohio and to rob them. Three men were killed, and a fourth who was wounded testified at Beasley's trial.
More...