Page 2 - Put Beard News Today

He pointed to the kitchen area and thats when i walked around. oh, oh, okay. and he gets out on $250,000 cash >> when with "dateline" continues. bail. >> reporter: thats pretty low. >> and hes been out ever since. ves, >> reporter: and he seemed youll move over 10% more than before. 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 get any more involved. and hes like partially cry...

Into and hes been out ever since. >> and he seemed determined to profess his innocence to anyone who would listen. >> he said id like to tell you my side of the story. i said i dont want to hear it or get any more involved. and hes like partially crying and hes saying you know i wouldnt do that. >> 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 had his confession and changed his account of the murder. but prosecut...

And he gets out on $250,000 cash bail. >> thats pretty low. >> and he has been out ever since. >> and he seemed determined to profess his innocence to anyone who would listen. >> he said i would like to tell you my side of the story. i said i really dont want to hear it. i dont want to get any more involved, and he is, like, partially crying, and he is saying, you know i wouldnt do that. >> months went by as the state prepared the case against each man. michael beard was the first to go to trial...

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 account of the murder. but prosecutor weeden wetmore said evidence put beard at the crime scene. >> his dna was found where she had fled after being struck in the head with the murder weapon. >> reporter: it took jurors only seven hours to convict h...

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...

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...

Proof of a conspiracy. thats beard, they say, in a red truck that tom loaned him just hours before the murder. and thats tom following in his green servpro truck. >> also know that during that time period beard turned his phone off, turned it on, turned it off again. >> why do you think he did that? >> well, the inference to be drawn from that is that he has guys are not naive. they know that theres a possibility of being tracked with their phones. >> reporter: then, after the murder, the video ...

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...

>> 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...

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