Page 26 - Michael Beard News Today : Breaking News, Live Updates & Top Stories | Vimarsana

For leads. >> they were like, listen, do you guys know of anyone that possibly could have done this? >> kelley's niece molly had an idea. >> i looked at my mom and i was like, yeah. >> molly, only 16 at the time, told police she 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 didn't want me like working with him. >> michael beard was no stranger to the family. >> he actually had done work at my sister's home. my...

Nice, but i don't think she wanted to be left home alone. >> now molly told investigators that her uncle tom had recently fired beard. >> michael beard was fired september 17th, and then kelley was murdered like the night of the 28th, 29th, so it wasn't long at all. >> was it possible that beard was angry about losing his job and that kelley's murder was some kind of revenge? molly went through her cellphone and her facebook contacts and gave investigators beard's address. >> i gave that to them and they were just like, okay, thank you. >> the steuben county sheriff's office needed all hands o...

Everything that followed in the investigation had been poisoned. >> he was simply just being wrongfully accused and police here, hello! starts with -hi!mple... just rushed to judgment. how can i help? a data plan for everyone. and that therefore led to an everyone? incomplete investigation. everyone. >> reporter: and in fact, let's send to everyone! [ camera clicking ] investigators never found evidence that tom paid beard for a hit. wifi up there? -ahhh. sure, why not? as far as tom clayton, there was how'd he get out?! no conversation overheard, there a camera might figure it out. was no mon...

He pointed to the kitchen area and that's when i walked around. oh, oh, okay. and he gets out on $250,000 cash >> when with "dateline" continues. bail. >> reporter: that's pretty low. >> and he's been out ever since. ves, >> reporter: and he seemed you'll move over 10% more than before. determined to profess his innocence to anyone who'd listen. >> he said, i'd like to tell you my side of the story. i said, i really don't want to hear it. i don't want to get any more involved. and he's like partially crying and he's saying, you know i wouldn't do that. >> reporter: months went by as the state ...

>> reporter: the prosecution hallway and the transition area between the hallway and the said that was nonsense. dining room. michael beard had no reason to >> anybody else in the house, tom, just you? murder kelley unless he was sent >> i got the kids at the there by the defendant, tom neighbor's house. clayton. the state called linda miller to >> i said, where's your wife, testify. and he pointed to the kitchen she recounted how tom borrowed area. that is when i walked around and her phone and then delet i located the victim on the number he'd dialed, never kitchen floor. >> oh. oh, okay. dr...