The body of 36-year-old Karl Beaman Jr. was discovered buried beneath a slab of concrete in the crawlspace of a Colorado condominium building, according to the Aurora Police Department.
Authorities believe Beaman was killed six to eight months ago by his alleged accomplice, 38-year-old Haskel Leroy Crawford, who suspected him of being a police informant.
Crawford was arrested on Thursday and charged with Beaman’s murder. The mother of Crawford’s children, 29-year-old Casie Bock, was taken into custody on Tuesday and charged with accessory to homicide for her alleged involvement in concealing the body.
On April 1st, police received a call from a concerned relative of Beaman who had not heard from him since May of the previous year. The relative had hired a private investigator who linked Beaman’s disappearance to Crawford, as both men had been caught stealing catalytic converters from cars.
Crawford was already in custody at the Jefferson County Jail on charges of attempted first-degree murder in a separate case when the arrest warrant was issued. Meanwhile, Beaman’s family members had established a Facebook page to help locate him.
Through this page, a relative received an anonymous tip regarding the location of Beaman’s body and the alleged involvement of Bock and Crawford in his murder.
According to the tipster, Bock revealed details about the crime while under the influence of drugs, stating that Crawford had killed Beaman, believing him to be a police informant. The police received another tip on April 3rd that corroborated the information provided by Beaman’s relative.
The tipster, who did not know Bock personally but had children attending the same school as Bock’s, told the police that Bock had confided in them about Crawford killing Beaman inside their apartment. Beaman was then buried in a shallow grave beneath the building and covered with cement to conceal the smell.
Bock admitted to helping with the cleanup and moving the body but claimed she was not involved in the murder itself. During her police interview, Bock described Crawford and Beaman as “best friends” and said Crawford had only recently re-entered her life. She also recounted finding Beaman dead on the floor with a plastic bag over his head when she returned home from work one day. Crawford allegedly told Bock he had killed Beaman to protect his family and threatened her if she refused to help move the body.
The Arapahoe County Coroner’s Office is currently reviewing Beaman’s cause of death.