Man pleads guilty in connection to Traskwood murder case

BENTON, AR - A man has plead guilty to charges connected to his part in the murder of a man found buried in a Traskwood backyard.

According Prosecuting Attorney Ken Casady, Jay W. Beeson, Jr., 54, pled guilty to Kidnapping, Abuse of a Corpse and Hindering Apprehension for his role in the abduction and burial of Randall Anderson.

Beeson had previously been charged along with Marissa Wright with the kidnapping and murder of Anderson, whose remains were found buried under a koi pond in Wright’s backyard in Traskwood. Wright pled guilty to two counts of murder, one in connection to the murder of Anderson, and another in connection to the murder of Joe Lee Richards, Jr. who was also found buried in Wright’s backyard. Wright was sentenced to serve two life terms.

Investigators say Beeson admitted in a statement that he retrieved Anderson from a field behind Wright’s home and brought him back to Wright’s residence. He then left the residence and was arrested for an unrelated crime. After Wright bonded Beeson out of jail, they returned to her home where Beeson found Anderson dead, at which point Beeson helped Wright bury Anderson’s body.

Beeson was sentenced to serve 385 days in the county jail, followed by 120 months of suspended imposition of sentence. Prosecutors say Beeson had agreed to testify against Wright and that this proffer of testimony was critical in obtaining a guilty plea from Wright.
Evidence developed following his charges showed that Beeson was not present at the time of the homicide, and did not cause Anderson’s death.

“This sentence accurately reflects Beeson’s role in the disposal of the body and his failure to inform authorities about the homicide and burial of Anderson,” Casady said.