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Police: Man Confesses To Killing Missing 12-Year-Old Girl
POSTED: 12:14 pm EDT June 19,
2006
UPDATED: 5:27 pm EDT June 19,
2006
GREENE COUNTY, Pa. -- A groundskeeper on the farm where Gabrielle Beechen was found dead confessed to killing the 12-year-old girl, authorities said.Jeffrey Martin, 48, was a groundskeeper at a horse farm just down the road from where Gabrielle lived.Gabrielle had been missing since she went riding on an ATV on Tuesday morning in Dunkard Township, near Waynesburg.
Related: FBI: 12-Year-Old Girl Found Murdered
Her body was found not far from her home, authorities said.The ATV she had been riding was partially buried in a large manure dumpsite about a mile from her body, police said.Police said that Martin confessed the details of what happened Tuesday, when Gabrielle showed up at the horse farm on her all-terrain vehicle.Police also said Martin told them that the 12-year-old confronted him, making "accusations of misconduct" toward him.The affidavit does not detail what those accusations were, but police said they made Martin so angry that he chased Gabrielle.Police said when Gabrielle fell, Martin jumped on top of her and wrapped his hands around her throat.Then he squeezed her throat until she stopped moving, police said.Martin buried the evidence, which made it difficult to find Gabrielle for five days.On Saturday a volunteer found her ATV buried in manure on the horse farm.”Once the quad was located several cadaver dogs were brought in,” Pennsylvania State Policeman Joe Christy said. “They searched other areas around the farm, which led us to the location where Gabi’s body was found.”Martin is in the Greene County Jail charged with criminal homicide, aggravated assault and four counts of tampering with evidence, for allegedly burying Gabrielle’s body, her ATV, shoes and helmet.Martin’s preliminary hearing is scheduled for Wednesday.
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Related: FBI: 12-Year-Old Girl Found Murdered
Her body was found not far from her home, authorities said.The ATV she had been riding was partially buried in a large manure dumpsite about a mile from her body, police said.Police said that Martin confessed the details of what happened Tuesday, when Gabrielle showed up at the horse farm on her all-terrain vehicle.Police also said Martin told them that the 12-year-old confronted him, making "accusations of misconduct" toward him.The affidavit does not detail what those accusations were, but police said they made Martin so angry that he chased Gabrielle.Police said when Gabrielle fell, Martin jumped on top of her and wrapped his hands around her throat.Then he squeezed her throat until she stopped moving, police said.Martin buried the evidence, which made it difficult to find Gabrielle for five days.On Saturday a volunteer found her ATV buried in manure on the horse farm.”Once the quad was located several cadaver dogs were brought in,” Pennsylvania State Policeman Joe Christy said. “They searched other areas around the farm, which led us to the location where Gabi’s body was found.”Martin is in the Greene County Jail charged with criminal homicide, aggravated assault and four counts of tampering with evidence, for allegedly burying Gabrielle’s body, her ATV, shoes and helmet.Martin’s preliminary hearing is scheduled for Wednesday.
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More Greene County News
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