5 key details about John Salazar and Sarah Beasley’s double Murder
In the early hours of February 12, 2012, Sarah Beasley and John Salazar were fatally shot at their Monte Vista, Colorado residence.
According to a Denver Post report dated February 14, 2012, authorities initially discovered a red spray-painted message outside the home. However, they later confirmed it was a staged distraction.
As per The Pueblo Chieftain report dated December 23, 2014, Salazar, a 54-year-old school custodian, was shot outside the house before the gunman entered and killed 29-year-old Sarah Beasley.
Investigators later identified Daniel Bessey, Sarah Beasley’s former partner and father of one of her children, as the primary suspect.
As Fatal Family Feuds on Oxygen revisits this tragic case, the episode offers a closer look at how a history of strained relationships and unresolved custody battles culminated in a double homicide that shocked southern Colorado.
5 key insights about John Salazar and Sarah Beasley’s double murder explored
1) The victims were killed in the early hours of February 12, 2012
As per The Pueblo Chieftain report dated December 23, 2014, Sarah Beasley and John Salazar were found dead at their home in Monte Vista, Colorado. Salazar, 54, was shot outside in the driveway as he was leaving for his custodial job at a local elementary school. Beasley, 29, was gunned down inside the house in front of her three young sons, aged 8, 6, and 2.
2) A misleading message was spray-painted at the crime scene
As per Denver Post reporting dated February 14, 2012, the words “My drugs are not free” were spray-painted on the exterior wall of the house. While initially investigated as a drug-related crime, toxicology reports found no drugs in either victim’s system. This indicated the message was intended as a distraction by the killer.
3) Sarah Beasley’s ex-partner became the prime suspect
Daniel Bessey, who had a child with Sarah Beasley, became the focus of the investigation after inconsistencies emerged in his alibi. According to CBS News dated December 3, 2014, Bessey initially claimed he was in Montrose, Colorado. However, cellphone tower data analyzed later placed him closer to the scene in Gunnison that morning, contradicting his statement.
4) Investigators used circumstantial evidence to build the case
While the murder weapon was never recovered, prosecutors presented cellphone records and a flashlight found at the scene to link Bessey to the double homicide. As per The Pueblo Chieftain report dated December 23, 2014, a jury found him guilty based on this evidence. The flashlight was especially crucial, as it was traced back to Bessey through investigative work.
5) Bessey received two life sentences without parole
Bessey was convicted in December 2014 on two counts of first-degree murder, in addition to burglary, child abuse, and reckless endangerment charges. As stated in a Washington Times report dated December 24, 2014, he was sentenced to two consecutive life terms plus 32 years. Beasley’s children, who witnessed the killing of their mother, were also central to the prosecution’s account of events.
The murders of Sarah Beasley and John Salazar left a deep scar on the Monte Vista community and serve as a grim reminder of how personal disputes can escalate into fatal violence. With cellphone records, witness accounts, and circumstantial evidence, law enforcement was able to secure a conviction against Daniel Bessey bringing some closure to the victims’ families.
Viewers can stay tuned for more updates.
