The Nordland man convicted Tuesday of second-degree murder is scheduled to be sentenced July 23 in Jefferson County Superior Court.
John Paul Beckmeyer, 60, was found guilty of second-degree …
This item is available in full to subscribers.
We have recently launched a new and improved website. To continue reading, you will need to either log into your subscriber account, or purchase a new subscription.
If you had an active account on our previous website, then you have an account here. Simply reset your password to regain access to your account.
If you did not have an account on our previous website, but are a current print subscriber, click here to set up your website account.
Otherwise, click here to view your options for subscribing.
* Having trouble? Call our circulation department at 360-385-2900, or email our support.
Please log in to continue |
|
The Nordland man convicted Tuesday of second-degree murder is scheduled to be sentenced July 23 in Jefferson County Superior Court.
John Paul Beckmeyer, 60, was found guilty of second-degree murder while armed with a firearm, two counts of second-degree assault while armed with a firearm, and fourth-degree domestic violence assault.
Beckmeyer was arrested last August after he shot James McDonald, 24, during a barbecue on Griffith Point Road in Nordland.
The dispute began after Beckmeyer told his girlfriend to turn down a loud radio and she didn’t, and Beckmeyer responded by hitting her on the side of the head.
McDonald and his girlfriend confronted Beckmeyer about the assault, and Beckmeyer announced he was going back into the nearby fifth-wheel trailer where he lived to get a Colt .45-caliber pistol.
McDonald went to get a shotgun to protect himself and the two women at the barbecue, and when he returned, Beckmeyer pointed a .22-caliber handgun out the window of his fifth-wheel trailer, shooting McDonald twice in the chest and spraying the picnic area with seven other bullets.
Beckmeyer claimed self-defense, but the jury in his murder trial came back with guilty verdicts on the four charges the same afternoon that deliberations began Tuesday.
Jefferson County Prosecutor James Kennedy praised the work done by the deputy prosecutors and police.
“It took a huge amount of work by our office team, the deputy prosecutors involved, and law enforcement to get justice for the victims," Prosecutor James Kennedy said in a press release.
"I truly appreciate the hard work that everyone puts in on a daily basis,” he said.
The state's case was presented by Deputy Prosecutor Chris Ashcraft and Deputy Prosecutor Anna Phillips.
“Ms. Phillips did an outstanding job of summarizing the facts and showing the jury that Mr. McDonald was trying to protect himself and the two other victims when he was shot. Based on
their verdict, it appears the jury agreed with her analysis, and we hope this verdict brings some solace to Mr. McDonald’s friends and family,” Ashcraft said in a press release.
Beckmeyer faces a sentence of between 165 months to 265 months plus firearm enhancements, according to the prosecutor's office. The total sentencing range is 23 to 33 years.
