Tuesday, 09 October 2012 11:52

Jury Selection Underway for Teen Charged in Craigslist Killings

Written by  Scott Jennings
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Jury selection is underway for the trial of a teen accused in the deadly Craigslist robbery scheme.

Lawyers are picking the jury in Summit County Common Pleas Court that will decide the fate of Brogan Rafferty of Stow. He's accused of being an accomplice to several murders in which the victims responded to phony job listings on the website.

Prosecutors are seeking life in prison for Rafferty, who was 16 at the time of the killings. 53-year-old Richard Beasley, who is considered to be Rafferty's mentor and the prime suspect, heads to trial later, and could get the death penalty.


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(AP) A teenager befriended by a self-styled chaplain is headed to trial on murder charges in a deadly scheme to lure victims with phony Craigslist job offers in Ohio.

Jury selection was scheduled to begin Tuesday in Summit County Common Pleas Court in Akron for 17-year-old Brogan Rafferty of nearby Stow.

The jury selection could last several days and the trial could last through most of October.

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

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

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 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.

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 and had died Aug. 9 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.

Last modified on Tuesday, 09 October 2012 13:45
Scott Jennings

Scott Jennings

Scott Jennings joined the newsroom at Rubber City Radio Group in October of 2012. He's no stranger to northeast Ohio, working at WHBC in Canton for two years, and previously covering stories at WFIN in Findlay and WBCO in Bucyrus. Scott's experience also extends beyond news, serving as an announcer for the University of Findlay basketball teams, and hosting other sports shows for WFIN and WBCO. Scott is a graduate of The Ohio State University and a native of Circleville, Ohio. Contact Scott at sjennings@rcrg.net with tips and comments.

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