A dream opportunity masks a wicked plot | Forensic Files

[Music] our episodes deal with serious and often distressing incidents if you feel at any
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website 37-year-old Jeff shockling was watching television at his mother's house shortly after 700 p.m. on Sunday
November 6th 2011 when he heard the doorbell ring it was an unexpected sound to hear
at that time of day Jeff's mother lived in a rural area in Coldwell Ohio strange visitors to the home were
rare and known ones would just let themselves in rather than knock or ring the doorbell
first Jeff also thought it was odd that he hadn't heard a car pull up meaning that whoever was at the door had arrived
on foot suspecting that another member of the family was playing a prank on him Jeff asked his 9-year-old nephew to go
and see who was there the boy got up and went to the door while Jeff continued watching the
game show Jeopardy a moment later Jeff's nephew came running back and told Jeff there's
a guy at the door he's been shot and he's bleeding right through still believing this was part of
a prank his younger relatives had come up with Jeff and nevertheless went to the front
door standing in the doorway was a man Jeff had never seen before he looked looked to be in his late 40s with a
solid build a short salt and pepper beard and a shoulder length gray straight hair the man's face was pale and he
fidgeted anxiously while holding his right arm across his body his right shirt sleeve was soaked in Blood and so
was his pant leg below [Music] [Music] David py was ready for a fresh start for many years he had been a man of
consistency the 51-year-old from norfol Virginia had married his high school sweetheart Susan after the two had
parted ways for a Time David adopted Susan's son Wade and became a stable influence in the boy's
life David modeled to Wade what a regular routine looked like eating the same breakfast every day and then going
to work his 9 to-5 job as a warehouse manager and truck driver for a building materials
distributor but after almost 20 years of working for the same company David was suddenly left a drift after they had to
downside he struggled to find another long-term position instead working various jobs
here and there this became even harder after the financial crisis of 2007 to 2008 which was the most severe global
economic crisis since the Great Depression almost a century earlier the subsequent recession led to
companies going out of business and a shortage of jobs for bluecollar workers like
David David's personal Rel relationships also began to suffer eventually in 2009
David and Susan divorced David moved in with his older brother Richard and his sister-in-law
sleeping in their spare bedroom the trio got along well but David was looking for something more
permanent he was eager to get back on his feet and find a place of his own so he could properly begin the next chapter
of his life instead of feeling like a guest in someone else's home home while working short-term temp rols
and occasionally having to borrow money from friends and family David kept his hopes up for something
better at the men's bible study sessions he attended regularly he prayed to find
a steady job he also searched actively turning to the internet to look for his next possible
career on Sunday October 9 2011 David was trolling job listings on the website Craigslist when one in particular caught
his eye wanted caretaker for Farm simply watch over a 688 acre patch of hilly farmland and feed a few
cows you get 300 a week and a nice two-bedroom trailer someone older and single preferred but will consider all
relocation a must you must have a clean record and be trustworthy this is a permanent
position the farm is used mainly as a Hunting Preserve is overrun with game has a stocked 3 Acre Pond but some beef
cattle will be kept nearest neighbor is a mile away the place is secluded and beautiful it will be a real getaway for
the right person job of a lifetime if you are ready to relocate please contact ASAP Position will not stay open
[Music] the job ad immediately appealed to David py it would provide accommodation and
enough income to live off plus David loved the outdoors and a quiet life although he had close friends and
family members he loved he was content with being left to his own devices the ranch was situated in the
foothills of the Appalachian Mountains a Scenic location where David could enjoy
the natural world David also had a slightly hippie-ish look with wavy shoulder length hair and a bushy mustache and he
wasn't keen on changing his style for a more straight laced position if he was living alone on a ranch then it wouldn't
matter how he looked the only catch was that the ranch was in the southern part of Ohio two
states away from where David currently resided in Virginia but this didn't deter David at all his lifelong best
friend Chris Maul had moved to Ohio a couple of years earlier after his own divorce and was happy there David and
Chris had been friends since high school and always remained in contact despite life taking them in different
directions the men were so close that they talked up to 50 times a day they spoke so frequently that they even
purchased walkie-talkies for the sole purpose of chatting with each other if David moved to Ohio he'd be able to see
his friend more [Music] often David replied to the job listing writing I'm 51 years young single male I
love the outdoors I currently live in Virginia have visited Ohio and I really love the state being out there by myself
would not bother me as I like to be alone I own my own pickup truck so hauling would not be a problem I can fix
most anything have my own carpentry tools if chosen I will work hard to take care of your place and treat it like my
own a few days later David received a reply from the ranch owner a man named Jack who was also a
preacher Jack said that he'd received more than a 100 applications for the job and had narrowed his list down to three
candidates David was one of them Jack had a few more questions for David including whether he'd ever been
arrested for a felony David assured him that he had a clean record Jack warned that the ranch didn't
have cell coverage and asked if David was okay living in relative Solitude David confirmed that he
was Jack said that he'd let David know if he'd gotten the job by 2 p.m. that Friday making it clear that if David was
hired he'd need to start right away way David's excitement at learning he'd made the short list was visible to those
around him his brother Richard noticed how David looked happier and more animated than he had in a long
time when Friday came David sat waiting by the phone it didn't ring David resigned himself to the fact
that Jack must have chosen someone else then hours after the deadline had passed A call came
through it was Jack David had the job David was ecstatic wasting no time he packed all of his clothes and most
treasured possessions into a U-Haul trailer that his church had lent him the money to
rent then on Saturday October 22 he hopped into his blue Dodge pickup truck and started the Drive North to Ohio
David spent the night at a hotel in the neighboring state of West Virginia the plan was to meet Jack for breakfast the
following morning at a chain restaurant in the Ohio town of Marietta from there Jack would take
David to the ranch and show him around before going to sleep that night David called his friend Chris Maul for a
chat Chris wished a David good luck for his first meeting with his new employer and asked him to get in touch after
after he was settled in he also told David to forward on his address as soon as he had
it David still didn't know exactly where the ranch was located just the general area and Chris wanted to drive down to
visit the following weekend but the next day Chris didn't hear anything from David he tried
reaching out to him via his walkie-talkie and was met with silence for two friends who spoke a
dozens of times every single day this was a sudden and unexpected change when David found out he'd gotten
the job Chris was the first person he called saying it was the best thing to ever happen to
him the fact that he wasn't reaching out to let Chris know how the job was going
raised immediate alarm Bells Chris called David's brother and got a contact number for David's new
boss Jack he then called Jack to ask how David was doing jack reassured him that David was
settling in well and he just left him with a list of chores to take care of he said he'd let David know that Chris had
called when he saw him the next day despite this reassurance several more days went by with no word from
David Chris called Jack again and this time he had some unexpected news Jack said that when he'd arrived at the
ranch that day David had repacked all of his belongings into his pickup truck David told Jack that he'd met a
guy in town who was going to work on a drilling rig in Pennsylvania and David had decided he'd do the
same Chris didn't believe this for a second he knew there was no way David would have left Ohio without letting him
know by the time two weeks had passed with no word from David Chris phoned David's
twin sister Deborah the two siblings had always been close after Deborah married her second
husband she relocated into state but always stayed in touch with David she was one of the first people he
called after receiving his new job David had told her his new boss was a preacher and it felt like he was being
spiritually directed towards finding peace Deborah was happy for David but she'd made him promise to visit her for
Christmas in 2 months time and she didn't like the idea of him spending the holiday
alone when Deborah received Chris's call it underscored her own growing [Music] concern David had stayed in touch with
Deborah during his journey to Ohio and she'd asked him to phone her after he was settled in at the ranch she hadn't
heard from him since Deborah tried calling David herself but all of her calls went through the
voicemail she left several messages which became increasingly panicked and desperate as time went
on Deborah promised to David she would find him saying I'm going to bring you home no
matter what it is the stress of the situation caused Deborah to lose her appetite and she
struggled to sleep she spent several days trying to track her brother down by calling the
hotel he'd stayed at on his way to Ohio and the business he'd hired the uall trailer from neither were able to shed
any light on David's whereabouts without a location for the ranch Deborah was unable to progress
further in her search then about a week after receiving Chris's call Deborah suddenly recalled
something David had told her that Ranch was in a town called Cambridge Deborah went to her laptop
computer and typed Cambridge Ohio into Google a website for the town's local newspaper popped up and Deborah clicked
on it then started scrolling through recent articles one that was published 3 days
earlier on Tuesday November 8th caught her eye the headline read man says he was lured here for work
work then shot on Sunday October 9 2011 48-year-old Scott Davis was scrolling through Craigslist when he came across
the same job ad that had caught David's eye for the past 15 years Scott had been
living in South Carolina but he'd grown up in Ohio and his mother still lived there her house was run down and in
desperate need of repairs Scott and his fiance both agreed that he should move back to Ohio to
assist his mother for a while Scott ran a landscaping business and as it was getting close to Winter
there would be little Landscaping work in South Carolina anyway when Scott spotted the Craigslist
ad seeking a living caretaker at a 688 acre cattle ranch in Ohio it sounded perfect the work sounded easy enough
that he'd still have time to help out his mother Scott typed a reply to the app just over a week later on Monday
October 17 he received a response from the ranch owner Jack Jack liked the sound of Scott and
said it would be fine if he spent the weekends at his mother's he asked Scott whether he owned
a truck or any farm tools and also requested a photocopy of his driver's license for a background
check Scott provided the copy and assured Jack that he had everything required after a few more emails back
and forth Jack offered Scott the job Scott packed a trailer with his belongings including clothes stereo
equipment tools and his beloved Harley Davidson Jack had encouraged him to bring the Harley telling Scott the area
around the ranch was gorgeous and perfect for motorcycling in early November Scott hitched the
trailer to the back of his pickup truck and headed for Ohio on the morning of Sunday November 6
Scott pulled up at a diner called shony in the town of maretta he'd made plans to meet Jack
there for a breakfast meeting before heading to the ranch where he'd be living and
working when Scott entered the diner Jack was already waiting with a tall young man who looked to be in his mid to
late teens Jack introduced the boy as his nephew Jack was tall too with a solid build he was middle-aged perhaps around
51 or 52 with wispy salt and pepper hair that was longer at the back he had a mustache and it looked like he'd
recently shaved his beard he'd missed a couple of spots where patches of facial hair
remained Jack was chatty over breakfast asking Scott what belongings he'd packed
for his new life his nephew didn't say much instead focusing on his food after they finished eating they
prepared to go to the ranch Jack explained that the small Road leading to the ranch was damaged and
needed to be repaired before Scott could drive his truck on it Scott was to leave his vehicle in a
parking lot in the town of cordwell for the time being while Jack showed him the
ropes Scott got in the back seat of Jack's white Buick laber while Jack took the passenger seat and his nephew
drove Jack chattered while his nephew kept his eyes on the road telling Scott about Foods he liked the church he
preached at and his ex-wife the surrounding landscape became increasingly rural soon enough they were driving on a
dirt road and scottt had no signal on his cell phone after driving for about 15 minutes
they reached a heavily wooded area and Jack asked his nephew to pull over saying quot drop us off where we got
that deer at last time Jack told Scott he'd left some equipment they needed to repair the road
down a hill near a creek and he needed Scott's help to get it the two men hopped out of the car
while the teenager did a you turn then head it off again Scott followed Jack down the hill
into the woods soon they reached to the creek but Scott didn't see any equipment Jack appeared to be lost and
soon gave up telling Scott forget this let's turn around and take the roadway Scott turned and began to
retrace his steps this time walking in front of Jack then then he heard a click behind
him followed by the word [ __ ] Scott thought the click sounded like a gun misfiring he spun around and saw Jack
his eyes cold aiming a revolver directly at him Jack pulled the trigger again right
as Scott impulsively reached out and tried to grab the weapon the bullet hit Scott in his right
elbow he began to run the black leather baseball cap he was wearing falling off as he did so he raced deeper into the
woods with the jack in Hot Pursuit firing at Scott again and again Scott heard four gunshots but none
of them hit him he ran until he couldn't go on anymore it appeared that he'd lost to
Jack Scott found a Ravine and decided to hide there as he sat low in the Ravine he heard a
car passing back and forth on the nearby Road he had no doubt it was Jack looking
for him Scott was bleeding heavily but he continued to hide as the day Drew on Scott grew cold
and hungry yet was too scared to emerge in case his attacker was waiting for him finally after about 7 hours had
passed he knew knew he needed to move if he wanted to live night had fallen and Scott walked
several miles in the dark before coming across a farmhouse he approached the house
terrified that it might belong to Jack knowing he had no other option he knocked on the
door it was answered by a young boy who was there visiting his grandmother he alerted his uncle
37-year-old Jeff shockling who came to the door and called 911 as they waited for the police to
arrive Scott told Jeff that he'd been attacked by a man who'd offered him a job Scott believed that the man intended
to Rob him after all he'd known that all of his most prized possessions including
his harleydavidson were piled up in a trailer attached to Scott's truck the County's Sheriff Steven Hanam
arrived about 15 minutes later and Scott repeated his story but Sheriff Hanam was
doubtful of Scott's claims for starters Scott said he'd been hired to work on a 688 acre cattle ranch but there were no
ranches even remotely close to that size in Noble County there were plenty of large rural stretches of land but they
mostly belonged to mining companies the sheriff was also slightly suspicious of Scott Davis himself his long hair
scruffy beard and denim jacket combined with references to his harleydavidson all pointed to him being a
biker maybe he'd gotten caught up in a drug deal that had gone a while Scott was taken to hospital in
an ambulance investigators began following up on his claim they called some local informants
to if they knew anything about the case they didn't investigators then went out to
the cordwell parking lot where Scott said he'd left his truck and trailer both were still there exactly as
he'd described on the dashboard of the truck were printouts of the emails Scott had
exchanged with his prospective employer Jack all the details were pointing to his story being true
[Music] based on the detailed descriptions of Jack and his nephew that Scott had
provided Sheriff Hanam wondered if the culprits could be a father and son who were known as country and
county country whose real name was Jerry Hood senior lived on a farmhouse with his wife in the rural area Scott had
detailed the sheriff head it out to Country Hood's property about half a mile from his
residence there was some heavy equipment by the road that Scott had described seeing Sheriff Hanam decided to visit
Hood's wife Lois at the tavern where she worked to see if she could shed any further light on the
matter Lois explained that her husband had been in hospital for the past 2 months after he slipped and HIIT his
head the sheriff also spoke with Hood's son County Scott had described Jack as having a mustache with a recently shaved
beard yet Cy Hood had a full beard it was clear that the two men who first come to the Sheriff's mind were
both innocent investigators contacted the shony diner where Scott Davis had met Jack and his nephew and obtained
security footage from inside the venue it showed the two men who had met up with Scott standing and waiting for a
table their faces visible the older man wore a dark jacket and a black baseball cap with a logo on the
front the teenager wore a light colored button-down shirt and stood with his arms
crossed on Tuesday November 8th 2 days after Scott was attacked investigators located the baseball cap that Scott had
lost while fleeing from Jack it was lying in the shallows of a creek that intersected the dirt road
Scott and Jack had walked along the Land There wasn't part of a ranch but was owned by a Coal Company
and sometimes least to Hunters investigators had identified the crime scene the investigation was progressing
well but without urgency that suddenly changed on the evening of Friday November 11 when the
Sheriff's Office received a call from a woman named Deborah Bruce Deborah had been trolling the website of
noble County's local newspaper looking for clues about her missing twin brother David Poley when she came across an
article detailing Scott Davis's ordeal the article explained how Scott had been lured in with the promise of a
job on a 688 acre cattle ranch exactly like the job David had set out for 3 weeks earlier before disappearing
completely really realizing this couldn't be a coincidence Deborah immediately called The Noble County
Sheriff's Office to tell them about her brother and how he'd replied to the same
Craigslist ad as Scott Davis the team immediately fast-tracked the investigation it looked as though they
might have an actual murder to solve as well as an attempted one on Monday November 14 a search team
composed of local law enforcement and FBI agents went back to the s in the woods where Scott's baseball cap was
found they spanned out from the creek bed and carefully scoured the area about 100 to 150 ft from the spot
where the Hat was recovered Searchers discovered an empty hole that appeared to have been dug by
hand it was a couple of feet deep and approximately 80 Ines long the first impression of the
investigators present was that the hole was actually an intended grave the next day kadava dogs were
dispatched to the same location it was pouring rain and coyotes could be heard howling in the
distance several hours before nightfall one of the dogs alerted at a patch of disturbed soil about 80 ft from the
empty grave the patch was at the bottom of a Hillside and and had several tree branches lying on
top investigators began digging at the wet soil with their hands the heavy downpour of rain had led
to puddles dotting the ground as they clawed at the dirt blood began bubbling up from the ground into
the muddy water then a foot wearing a sock emerged investigators formly excavated
the area and 2 ft beneath the the surface they uncovered the body of a man lying face
down he had been shot in the back of the head with either a 32 or 38 caliber firearm the man was almost completely
naked but tied around one of his wrists was a black leather bracelet with a silver
clasp a detective called Deborah Bruce and described the bracelet to her she began to shake she knew that the
bracelet belonged to her twin brother the man lying in the muddy grave was David
pley in a bid to track down the mysterious Jack investigators requested assistance from an FBI cyber crimes
expert using Jack's job ad they were able to obtain information from Craig's List that led to the user's IP
address in turn this led to a physical address of a house in the Ohio city of akan detectives obtained a search
warrant and made the 100 mile Journey North to visit the home when they knocked on the front door
it was answered by the homeowner a man named Joe Bas Joe said he lived at the house with
his wife and a young child he insisted that he hadn't posted anything on Craig's List and he didn't
know anyone named Jack however when detectives showed Joe a photo of the man they were looking for
taken from the CCTV footage at shon's Diner Joe recognized him right away Joe identified the man as Ralph
guer who went by the nickname Dutch Joe had turned his basement into an apartment which Dutch had started
renting in either August or September for 100 a month however he'd moved out at the end
of October just two weeks prior Joe described Dutch as a real nice guy and a good housemate he was a
churchgoer and hadn't been prone to drinking smoking or swearing during his time at the house he
was given access to Joe's computer and internet connection the detectives asked Joe if
there was anything in the house that had belonged to Dutch Joe said yes he traded his
computer with the Dutch in exchange for some boxes of miscellaneous items he gave the boxes to
detectives amongst the contents were personal items belonging to David py detectives searched the basement
apartment and found a few possessions Dutch had left behind including prescription pill bottles with the name
Ralph Gyer printed on them [Music] investigators were just as eager to track down the teenager that had
accompanied their Prime Suspect Jack had told Scott Davis that the boy's name was
brogen investigators were able to identify the teen as 16-year-old Broan rafid who was a student at Stow Monroe
Falls High School just outside of akan on Wednesday November 16 the day after the discovery of David Paul's body
an FBI agent and a detective went to Brogan's high school and spoke with him in the principal's
office Broan appeared completely calm he admitted to having met with Scott Davis
at Shy's Diner but denied any knowledge of Scott being shot he also denied knowing anything
about what had happened to David poly broen said he didn't want to speak further without an attorney
and he was permitted to leave however a sheriff's deputy monitored him at the school for the
remainder of the day to ensure he didn't attempt to flee meanwhile a group of investigators
headed to the rafid residence to conduct the search of the home in Brogan's bedroom they uncovered a briefcase
containing a sword off shotgun a 22 gauge semi-automatic pistol a knife bullets and a several shotgun shs on
Brogan's computer was a Word document dated Tuesday August 16 2011 several months before David py and
Scott Davis had been attacked the document appeared to be a poem that Brogan had written it read in
part we took him out to the woods on a humid Summer's night I walked in front of them they were going back to the car
I didn't turn around the loud crack echoed and I didn't hear the thud the two of us went back to the car
for the shovels I dug the hole we put him in with difficulty they called them stiffs for a
reason when I got home took a shower hotter than hell itself prayed like hell that night
later that evening police returned to Brogan's home and placed him under [Music]
arrest after being taken into custody broen rafid initially said little but a week after his arrest he was persuaded
to talk broen's childhood hadn't been easy his mother struggled with the drug addiction and had lost custody of broen
and her three other children Broan lived with his father Michael who worked an early shift at a
machine shop Michael did his best but broken had to be somewhat self-sufficient from a very young age
getting ready for school alone at just 5 years old and walking to the bus stop by
himself every day when Broan was 8 years old he told his father he wanted to attend a church
on Sundays Michael wasn't ke to wake up so early on the weekend but he gave broen
permission to attend church with a good friend of his named Richard Beasley Beasley was a bit of a rough
character and Michael knew him to be something of a quote scam artist but Michael had never seen him be angry or
aggressive and thought he was a safe person for his son to spend time with Broan began attending church with
Beasley every week and came to enjoy spending time with the older man unlike his own father who could be impatient
and quick-tempered Beasley was calm with a hearty laugh sometimes Brogan felt certain that
Richard Beasley was actually Santa Claus he physically resembled the legendary figure and carried lollies in
his pocket that he would share with Brogan sometimes Brogan's half-sister would join the parrot Church along with
Beasley's own daughter after the sermons ended Beasley would take them out to McDonald's saw
get them donuts and offer advice on how important it was to stay in school and avoid
drugs Beasley had his own checkered past that gave these lessons credibility he'd been a bright child
with a charismatic personality but he'd grown up in an abusive household eager to leave his Ohio
Hometown once he was an adult he relocated to Texas where he began committing crimes specifically Burg
y he wound up in prison in the 1980s and moved back to akan after he was released
in 1990 a motorcycle Enthusiast he met his future wife at a biker event and the couple soon had a
daughter while he kept up a respectable front he was burglarizing homes behind his family's back while also illegally
dealing weapons in 1996 Beasley was arrested again and sentenced to 7 years his wife divorced him but Beasley
maintained a relationship with his daughter it was during this incarceration that Beasley found God and
became a born-again again Christian after his release he began spending lots of time at an akan Church
known as the chapel his new found Faith prompted him to attend Bible study classes and
volunteer at a soup kitchen Beasley was an example of how religion could reform a
person when he gifted broen rafid a Bible he wrote a message inside that read the Bible is the key to peace of
mind and a road map to [Music] Salvation over the course of almost a decade Richard Beasley became like an
uncle to Brogan but there was another side to him beneath the clean living churchgoing
exterior in the mid 2000s he was in a car accident that left him with several injuries he began taking opiates for
neck and back pain stopped working consistently and withdrew from his family at the same time his relationship
with brogen rafid remained strong using money he'd received from a settlement relating to his car accident
beas founded a halfway house it was ostensibly a place where those overcoming substance addiction or
reintegrating with Society after serving time could get back on their feet Beasley told people he wanted to
help drug users sex workers and teenage runaways at night he drove around akan his eyes peeled for people who needed
assistance he preached the Bible to his halfway house residents and helped those
with court appearances by vouching on their behalf these Good Deeds led to him being
nicknamed chaplain rich in reality Beasley took advantage of the people who moved into his halfway
house at one stage there were five or six sex workers living there and Beasley began acting as their pimp he purchased
cell phones for them drove them to meet clients and posted ads for them online while he was never physically violent
towards these women he exerted a lot of control over them if any ever spoke of wanting to leave Beasley fought to keep
them there by giving them drugs he also dealt drugs as a way to make cash in February of 2011 Beasley was
arrested on drug charges as this was in violation of his parole he was held on remand in the county
jail it turned out that some of the women Beasley had abused had gone to the police and for the past 2 years
prosecutors had been building a case against him for pimping sex workers at his halfway house if convicted he faced
spending the rest of his life in prison 5 months later in July 2011 he was released on bail but subsequently
failed to check in with authorities which led to a warrant being issued for his arrest Richard Beasley was officially
fleeing from the law by this point he'd isolated broken rafid from other loved ones and made him
entirely dependent on Beasley's affection and approval Beasley had gone from being a
mentor to the teenager to a father figure who broen's life revolved around meeting up with Beasley and
helping him out with whatever he asked was broen's primary focus the pair spoke every other day and spent
time together several times a week in early August 2011 Beasley confided in Brogan that he was on the
run from the law there was a warrant out for his arrest and he was being framed for a
crime he didn't commit Beasley didn't want to go back to prison and said he needed Brogan's help
to survive Brogan was upset to hear that his me was being unfairly persecuted by
law enforcement and agreed to help where he could Beasley decided he needed a whole
new identity and he planned to obtain one by any means necessary he began lurking around a
homeless shelter keeping an eye out for middle-aged Men Who Bore a resemblance to
him soon he honed in on one particular individual who seemed to fit the bill a man named Ralph for
gyar at 56 years old Ralph Gyer was doing it tough he once had a successful construction business but he'd been hit
hard by the recession and by August 2011 he was unhoused and staying at a shelter
in akan eager to get back on his feet Ralph felt a sense of renewed hope when he met
Beasley and was offered a caretaker position on his large cattle ranch Ralph had grown up on a farm and
would been his element in such a role he told staff at the shelter about his new job as well as a close friend
named summer rally although Ralph and summer spoke daily he warned her that he wouldn't
have cell phone reception on the ranch and therefore wouldn't be in contact as much on the night night of Monday August
8th 2011 Ralph checked into a Best Western motel in Coldwell the town Beasley said was near his
Ranch no one ever heard from him again according to Brogan rafy he and Beasley had met up with Ralph Geer on
Tuesday August 9 with Broan acting as Beasley's driver they took him out to the same wooded
area where they later took David paulley and Scott Davis they all got out of the car and
Beasley used a pistol to shoot Ralph in the back of the head broen then helped him bury the body
nearby he later said that he felt like he had ice in his veins and was in a State of
Shock afterwards Beasley dyed his white hair dark so it looked like Ralphs and applied for multiple jobs under Ralph's
name he also moved into Joe bis's house giving him Ralph's name instead of his own on Monday September 19 Beasley
opened a bank account as Ralph guer the following day he used Ralph's name to visit a doctor and obtain
prescription painkillers while Beasley got on with his new life broen said that he was
terrified knowing that the man he'd built his life around was a killer he was scared that he or someone he loved
might be next broen claimed that Beasley had warned him I know where your mother lives I
know where your sister lives in September 2011 Richard Beasley was hired to be a Quality Inspector at a
manufacturing plant but due to his chronic back pain he found the work difficult
as his first attempt at killing someone for personal gain had gone off without a
hitch he decided to do it again this time instead of just stealing his victim's identity he would also Rob
them for financial gain Richard Beasley had learned about Craigslist from his daughter who had
helped him catch up on all things technology after his release from prison she'd helped him set up an
account so he could sell some old furn armed with this knowledge Beasley used the site to craft a job ad offering an
idilic lifestyle for someone down on their luck he specified that older and single candidates were preferred because
he was hoping for victims with few personal ties Beasley wanted people who could
disappear without raising suspicion it was also crucial that they have no criminal record so was to avoid
any trouble with the police over 100 applications quickly flooded in including responses from
David pley and Scott Davis who both emailed Beasley on the same day Beasley weeded through them to find
the right quote candidates any applications from women or from men with Partners were ignored
and deleted after his initial screening process Beasley called his potential victims for a telephone interview
claiming his name was Jack he used these calls to clarify further details such as the applicant's
marital status and any possible criminal background he also sused out what personal belongings they intended to
bring with them if hired not all of those interviewed made it through to the next
round in October Beasley met with a candidate named Daniel to discuss the job in
person Daniel was offered the position and began preparing for the move Daniel mentioned that he'd be
bringing a pistol with him Beasley initially said that was fine but later changed his mind telling
Daniel I'm the only one with a gun Daniel found this suspicious he tried to find the ranch's
details on the Noble County auditor website but but nothing came up concerned Daniel told Beasley quote this
ain't adding up the final straw came when Beasley offered to buy Daniel's SUV and pickup
truck he said he'd pick them up and then give Daniel the money once he arrived at
the ranch Daniel disliked this plan saying to Beasley what if somebody is trying to
get my vehicles before I come down there and then when I get down there they shoot me and take my
stuff Beasley responded you shouldn't have said that he then sent Daniel an email
formally resending the job offer around the same time Beasley was also talking to another man named
George semi retired and seeking an easy job to supplement his income George thought Beasley's D sounded
ideal the two met at a food court to talk specifics the interview was going well
until George mentioned that he'd been involved with martial arts for almost his entire
life Beasley suddenly sat back in his chair when George added that he'd previously worked as a security guard
beasy put George's application away and abruptly ended the interview George never heard from him
again David py was the first successful candidate early on the morning of Sunday
October 23 mere hours before David was set to meet them in Ohio Richard Beasley enlisted broen rafi's help once
again they bought some shovels and drove out to the general area where Ralph Gyer
was buried while beas supervised Broan dug a grave later that morning Beasley and
Broan headed to the chain restaurant where they'd arranged to meet David afterwards the duo embarked on
what would become a pattern Beasley explained that the road to the ranch was damaged so they'd have
to repair it before coming back for David's things Broan then drove Beasley and David out to the location of the the
pre-dug grave after Broan pulled over the three got out of the car and Beasley asked
Broan and David to follow him up a hill Brogan stopped to urinate and as he was finishing he heard a cracking sound
he turned around and saw David py lying face down on the ground having been shot
in the back of the head after Brogan buried David he and Beasley returned to the parking lot
where David's blue Dodge pickup truck and trailer were parked Beasley told acquaintances that
he'd acquired the items by bidding on a storage unit and winning its contents he gave some of David's less
valuable possessions away and sold others to neighbors and at flea markets none of them were particularly
high value David had packed some model trains fishing tackle boxes a laptop and a bit
of Nascar memorabilia Beasley also sold David's truck for $1,000 and made sure to return David's
rented trailer to a U-Haul facility 2 weeks later Broan accompanied Beasley to a breakfast meeting with
48-year-old Scott Davis Beasley was particularly excited about this candidate given that he owned
a harleydavidson which Beasley had told him to bring to Ohio the plan proceeded much like the
previous one had until Beasley went to shoot Scott and his revolver jammed hearing the weapon misfire gave
Scott a heads up and time to run away Beasley raced back to the road where Brogan was waiting in his car and
told the teen that if they saw Scott they had to run him down the pair drove back and forth
looking for Scott but eventually gave up as they headed back home Beasley threw some of the car's contents out the
window so that his vehicle would be less recognizable if Scott described its contents to
investigators Beasley was devastated that his plan had gone a right as well as the Harley Scott had
packed some high-end electronics and Beasley had estimated he'd make about $30,000 from selling it all
despite the likelihood that police would soon be investigating the attempted murder he decided he needed to make up
for his unexpected loss Richard Beasley went looking for another [Music] victim 47-year-old Timothy Kern was
going through a rough period the divorced father of three from akan had once been a successful Club DJ but had
been let go in 2001 in the years that followed he'd struggled to find consistent
work he eventually found a job as a street cleaner but by November 2011 he was unemployed again and had no fixed
address he alternated between staying with friends and living out of his car while searching for a new
job when he came across Richard basley's Craigslist ad he described it as a good
offer but strange and wasn't as immediately enthusiastic as some of the other applicants the job would mean relocating
to an area with limited Soul service and a significant distance from his sons although Timothy hadn't lived with
his son since his divorce 14 years prior he remained a huge presence in their lives he called and texted them almost
every hour of every day and did his best to see them every single day even if their visits were sometimes
fleeting on Wednesday November 9 2011 3 days after the attack on Scott Davis Timothy Kar met Richard Beasley
for a job interview he got the job and on Sunday November 13 he set off to start his new
[Music] position Beasley and Brogan picked Timothy up in a parking lot in Canton
Ohio early the next morning Beasley began asking Timothy about the items he'd brought with him
having previously established that Timothy owned a laptop and a flat screen TV Timothy said he just had an old
television and some garbage bags filled with clothes and cassette tapes he explained that he'd given the laptop and
more expensive television to his sons Beasley asked Timothy how much cash he had on him to get by until his first
paycheck somewhat sheepishly Timothy said he only had $5 Broan later told investigators that
he felt a pit in his stomach at this point realizing that they were about to murder Timothy Kar for absolutely
nothing but they still went ahead with the plan it was still dark when the trio headed off in Beasley's vehicle at
around 6:00 a.m. this time Brogan drove them to a wooded area behind a disused mall in akan which
had gone out of business during the recession the previous killing site was too dangerous given there had been
several news articles published about the attempt on Scott Davis's life Beasley explained to Timothy that
they'd been squirrel hunting behind the mall earlier and he'd lost his watch he wanted to find it as it had sentimental
value Timothy followed Beasley into the woods and not long after Broan heard a gunshot he looked over and saw Timothy
on his knees a hand clutching one side of his head are you okay Beasley asked in a
concerned sounding voice he then fired four more times hitting Timothy in the head and killing
him they buried his body in a shallow grave Beasley had Broan dig the night before Brogan described to investigators
where the bodies of Timothy Kern and Ralph gerer were buried officers recovered them both and found that their
injuries matched to Brogan's version of events Ralph had sustained one gunshot wound to his head while Timothy had
sustained five by the time this information came to light Richard Ley was already in
custody having been arrested on his outstanding warrants on November 16 the same day that broen rafid was arrested
and just 2 days after Timothy Kern was killed investigators were able to track him down after he left a note for his
former landlord Joe Bas in it Beasley said he' heard that police had been sniffing around and
wanted to know what Joe knew he he asked Joe to call him and provided his cell phone
number detectives had Joe phone Beasley for a chat while they hurridly traced the call to a house in
akan it turned out Beasley had been renting a room he'd found by placing a room wanted ad on Craig's
List Beasley wasn't talking but a search of his new residents uncovered a number
of items belonging to David pley as well as male addressed to Ralph Gyer and prescription bottles with Ralph's name
on them while Beasley was held on remand he sent a letter to a woman he was friends
with he asked her to go to his former Residence at nighttime where he'd hidden two laptops under some leaves in the
corner of the yard Beasley wanted her to destroy both computers as well as a wallet he'd
hidden in another area of the yard he included a handdrawn map of where to find these
items Beasley asked his friend not to tell anyone about his letter and even concocted a secret code she could use to
communicate whether her Mission had been successful or not instead of doing as requested
Beasley's friend handed the information over to the police they retrieved the items which
turned out to be Ralph geer's wallet and David Paul's laptop as well as Beasley's
own laptop with a record of his Craigslist activity Richard Beasley maintained his
innocence a claim which was publicly supported by his mother she told the Associated Press that her son had a very
caring heart and was a mentor to broen rafy as far as she knew the two spent their time together going to church
fishing playing video games and delivering food to people in need at Richard Beasley's trial in late
February 2013 prosecutors presented an abundance of evidence they' gleaned from electronic
devices they also had the victim's belongings that were found in Beasley's possession as well as numerous Witnesses
who could link Beasley to the crimes several candidates who' interviewed with Bley for his phony job
also testified against him as did friends and acquaintances who knew him as Ralph
Gyer a former landlord and an ex-housemate testified that Beasley had been talking about Scott Davis's
possessions including his harleydavidson before Scott had even left for Ohio Beasley had told them he'd bid on a
storage unit that contained the items and he was hoping to win them investigators had learned that
Beasley used at least seven prepaid cellon bones to conduct his crimes but they were unable to recover most of
these nor were they able to conclusively find the murder weapon one of the guns found in broen
rafi's bedroom could have been used to kill Timothy Kern but that couldn't be determined for
certain at least two other guns were used to shoot the other three victims but these were never
found Richard Beasley took the stand in his own defense he claimed that he'd known Ralph Geer from a biker Clubhouse
and had told Ralph about his desire to change his identity Ralph had supposedly offered up
his own identity in assistance Beasley claimed he didn't know what happened to Ralph Gyer after
that but hinted he may have been killed by a motorcycle gang that included broken rafi's father and a local Father
and Son known as country and County Hood this was the same Duo that police had initially suspected in the very
early stages of the investigation into Scott Davis's attempted murder Beasley claimed that after
country Hood was hospitalized due to an accident his son County decided to hire a caretaker to look after the family
farm he borrowed Beasley's computer to post an ad on Craig's List and asked Beasley to interview candidates on his
behalf because he thought Beasley would make a better impression Beasley claimed he used the
name Jack in Communications with the job applicants because he didn't want to risk his newly acquired Ralph guer
identity Beasley insisted the only candidate he'd met with was Scott Davis he claimed that Scott was actually
the one who pulled the gun and that the two had begun to struggle when the weapon went off hitting Scott in the arm
the jurors didn't buy Richard Beasley's story they found him guilty on 27 counts
including three counts of aggravated murder with prior calculation and design and one count of attempted
murder the jury recommended that Beasley receive the death penalty which still exists in
Ohio as the family members of the victims embraced and wept Beasley sat in a wheelchair he used due to his back
pain with his head facing down and his chin pressed against his chest the judge upheld the jury's
recommendation sentencing Richard Beasley to three death sentences for the murders of Ralph Gyer David paulley and
Timothy Kern Beasley unsuccessfully appealed his sentence all the way up to the US
Supreme Court as of the release of this episode Richard Beasley remains in prison on
death row with his sentence yet to be carried out one week after brogen rafid was
arrested he agreed to turn State's witness against Richard Beasley and give a full and detailed confession to law
enforcement in exchange for receiving reduced charges instead of being charged for
crimes against each of the four victims he agreed to plead guilty to one count of complicity to murder for David Poley
and one count of ATT attempted murder for Scott Davis however Brogan later changed his
mind about the deal and decided to go to trial instead the judge allowed a recording of
Brogan's confession to be played at his trial those close to Broan had wondered whether Richard Beasley had achieved
influence over the teenager by grooming and sexually abusing him in court his lawyers hinted at this
possibility but it was claim Broan adamantly denied any grooming had only been about
presenting Brogan with the father figure he'd always wanted the jury found broen rafy guilty
on 24 counts including one count of attempted murder and three counts of murder as broen had only been 16 at the
time of the crimes he was too young to receive the death penalty instead he was sentenced to to
life in prison without the possibility of parole the judge stated that while broen
was dealt a lousy hand in life he had chosen to quote embrace the devil broen rafy appealed his sentence
in 2015 arguing that his confession had been coerced and he was denied a chance to argue that he'd acted under
jurass his appeal bill was rejected in September 2013 the Atlantic published a feature article about the
case written by journalist Hannah Rosen Rosen interviewed broen rafy at length via a series of
letters a transcript of their conversation was also published by the Atlantic in it Brogan explained how he
came to be so manipulated by Richard Beasley and of the great remorse he had for the victims
he spoke of how he had always felt things very deeply but his difficult upbringing made it hard for him to
express emotions the interview concluded with brogen reflecting quote someday I'll have to sit down and
make sense of these murders for what they were as of now it is beyond me someday I'll be able to put the
pieces together in my own mind and understand the meaning behind such horror such evil such unnecessary
pain someday I will do this and it shall kill [Music] me multiple journalists who covered the
murders of David py Ralph Geer and Timothy Kern have reflected on how the men were all part of a vulnerable
group they were middle-aged and somewhat on the margins of society the global financial crisis had
left them with few resources or prospects making them susceptible to an opportunity that sounded too good to be
true while Richard Beasley had correctly identified some of their vulnerabilities
he had also underestimated his victims by believing no one would care when they disappeared as journalist Hana Rosen
pointed out in her 2013 feature about the case quote Richard Beasley had believed that
no one would come looking for the divorced unsettled middle-aged men he was targeting but he should have known
better like his victims Beasley was himself divorced and lived apart from his child and was only sporadically
employed and like them he too had created an intense surrogate family relationship with broken
rafid all of Beasley's murder victims had people who loved them missed them and definitely noticed when they stopped
making contact David py had been planning to visit his twin sister Deborah for Christmas and spoke to his best friend
Chris 50 times a day when he disappeared from their lives both were quick to make
inquiries and start investigating Deborah addressed Richard Beasley directly in court telling him
you took my best friend Confidant and my twin Ralph guer had a sister named Kathy
whom he always made contact with on birthdays and holidays when her birthday passed with no call from Ralph Kathy
phoned Ralph to check on him the call went straight to voicemail Kathy followed up with other
family members and Ralph's friends to see if anyone had been in touch with him someone told her about Ralph's new
job and how he didn't have soul service there when police later called Kathy to inform her that Ralph had been murdered
it was the worst phone call of Cathy's life Ralph also had a close relationship with a friend named summer rally who was
like a daughter to him summer was 30 years younger than Ralph and had met him when she was a rebellious
teenager Ralph had taken summer under his wing teaching her how to cook nutritious meals for herself and do
minor construction work soon she'd started working alongside him by the time summer was 25
she had gotten engaged and had a baby girl to whom Ralph was like a grandfather summer still keeps a photo
of Ralph and her daughter on a mantle in her home Timothy Kern's disappearance was
immediately noticed by his children who started calling and texting him frantically Timothy had an incredibly
close bond with his sons even though they were almost grown up he still referred to them as my
babies making the decision to move far away from them had been painful and he repeatedly told them that he didn't want
to leave them he was so proud of his children that he bragged about them to everyone he
met after he left for his new job one of Timothy's Sons sent him a text that read
I love you I miss you I'm proud of you good luck the next morning Timothy messaged
back text me when you wake up love you leaving soon Richard Beasley's sole surviving
victim Scott Davis has been left with chronic pain and a plate in his arm from the injury sustained when Beasley tried
to kill him he faced would be killer twice in court testifying as a witness and later
delivering a victim impact statement Scott said that the families of Beasley's murdered victims had become
like family to him in a reference to Beasley's supposed Faith Scott stated I'm sure you know the Ten
Commandments you've broken all of them but three come to mind you're a liar a thief and a
murderer you say you know God not yet I am The One That Got Away by the grace of God that will haunt
you the rest of your life in your 4x8 so [Music] [Music] [Music] for

Case 291: David Pauley, Ralph Geiger & Timothy Kern

In October of 2011, an advertisement was posted on the website Craigslist. It read: Wanted: Caretaker For Farm. Simply watch over a 688 acre patch of hilly farmland and feed a few cows. You get 300 a week and a nice 2 bedroom trailer. Someone older and single preferred but will consider all. Relocation a must. You must have a clean record and be trustworthy—this is a permanent position.

CREDITS

Narration – Anonymous Host Research & writing – Erin Munro Creative direction – Milly Raso Production and music – Mike Migas Music – Andrew D.B. Joslyn

SOCIAL LINKS

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RESOURCES

For all credits and sources, please visit https://casefilepodcast.com/case-291-david-pauley-ralph-geiger-timothy-kern

Brief Summary

Richard Beasley lured and murdered vulnerable men through a fake job ad on Craigslist, leading to a chilling investigation.

Key points

Unexpected Visitor. Jeff Shockling hears a doorbell at his mother's house and finds a bleeding man.
David's Fresh Start. David Py seeks a new beginning after losing his job and going through a divorce.
Job Offer from Jack. David receives a job offer for a caretaker position on a secluded ranch in Ohio.
The Discovery of David Poley's Body. Investigators uncover a grave containing the body of David Poley, shocking the community.
Richard Beasley's Dark Transformation. Once a mentor, Beasley becomes a manipulative figure in Brogan's life, leading him down a dark path.
Brogan's Arrest. Brogan Rafid is arrested after a series of investigations lead to his involvement in the murders.

Episode highlights

Episode quotes

There's a guy at the door, he's been shot and he's bleeding!

Jeff's nephew's alarming news about the visitor.

1:37WatchJul 6, 2024

Tension

85/ 100High tension

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