Page 18 - Michael Beard News Today

Why wouldnt you kill the person that youre disgruntled against? i mean, "im -- im angry at you, so im going to go kill your wife." >> reporter: but as a matter of procedure, the investigator asked beard for a dna swab and permission to look through his cell phone. >> he was very, very forthcoming. very willing, no problems. just very cooperative. >> reporter: while the state investigator was checking out the not-so-promising michael beard tip, sheriffs investigators had tom down at the station. ...

A big payment bearwas expecting to get from tom. 0,0. the investigators confronted beard. >> at that point, he was just defeated. i looked at him and said, "$10,000, is that why you killed kelley?" and he looked at me and said, "yes." >> this was your big moment? >> that was the -- that was the win. >> reporter: michael beard was arrested for murder. and tom, already in custody, was now accused of orchestrating the crime. but toms newly-hired defense attorney wasnt having it. >> he wants to be r...

Recognize. investigator donnie lewis took it from there. >> so what i did was i got the famber and put it into actually on my phone, anas soon as i put that phone number in there the profile that ps up is michael beard. >> reporter: michael beard, the ex-employee whod been so cooperative with investigators. suddenly, he didnt seem so innocent. now police had to reconsider their theory of the crime. maybe it wasnt tom whod beaten kelley to death. maybe his daughters description of the killer was ...

>> i kind of, like, looked at my mom. and i was like, "yeah." >> reporter: molly, only 16 at the time, told police shed spent the summer working for her uncle at his restoration business, servpro. and there she met one of his employees. a man named michael beard. tom told her to keep her distance. >> he never really wanted me around michael beard. he didnt want me, like, working with him. >> reporter: michael beard was no stranger to the family. >> he actually had done work at my sisters home. m...

Killed kelley in the process. >> reporter: the prosecution said that was nonsense. michael beard had no reason to murder kelley unless he was sent there by the defendant, tom clayton. the state called linda miller to testify. she recounted how tom borrowed her phone and then deleted the number hed dialed, never dreaming shed do her own detective work. >> you really connected the dots. to get the police to this moment. >> yeah. >> she did good. >> if you can call it good. >> reporter: finally, th...

Final knew that, oh, god, i could go to prison for life, depending on what theyre about to say. >> reporter: and then they said it. "guilty of first degree murder." outside the courthouse there were tears. lots of them. >> thank you. i believe justice was done here today. i do. >> reporter: tom clayton is awaiting sentencing. michael beard has already begun serving a life sentence. it seems so many in town want to honor kelley, even toms old hockey team. the elmira jackals just held a tribute fo...

Just rushed to judgment and that therefore led to an incomplete investigation. >> reporter: and in fact, investigators never found evidence that tom paid beard for a hit. >> reporter: as far as tom clayton, there was no conversation overheard. there was no money exchanging hands. you couldnt even use the confession from michael beard. so, there were a lot of things you didnt have. >> right, but if you look at thomas claytons conduct, he never mentioned michael beard. everybody says, "michael bea...

The courtroom was typically tense throughout the entire trial, but as far as anxiety was concerned, i have never been in a room that was filled with so much anxiety. >> reporter: the only one who didnt seem tense to the reporter was the defendant himself. he saw tom clayton smiling and kidding around with family members. his lawyer, though, was on the attack. he told the jury how investigators had immediately labeled tom a killer on the night of the murder. >> i think he attacked her. >> reporte...

>> and hes been out ever since. >> reporter: and he seemed determined to profess his innocence to anyone whod listen. >> he said, id like to tell you my side of the story. i said, i really dont want to hear it. i dont want to geany mo involved. and hes, like, partially crying and hes saying, you know, i wouldnt do that. >> reporter: months went by as the state prepared the case against each man. michael beard was the first to go to trial. in court, he recanted his confession and changed his acco...

>> reporter: investigator matt lambert was assigned to run down the michael beard lead. >> reporter: what did you know about michael beards background? >> he actually was a pretty well-respected employee until september 17th, when -- when tom had fired him. >> reporter: why did tom fire him? >> stealing from jobs and drinking, i think, on the job and that he fired him on the 17th because theres maybe some complaints from other employees at servpro. >> reporter: so theres some issues there? >> ri...