What happened to Sarah Beasley and John Salazar? Details explored ahead of Fatal Family Feuds on Oxygen
In the early morning hours of February 12, 2012, Sarah Beasley and John Salazar were shot and killed at their home on Lyell Street in Monte Vista, Colorado.
According to The Pueblo Chieftain report dated December 23, 2014, Salazar, a 54-year-old elementary school janitor, was shot in the driveway as he prepared to leave for work. Sarah Beasley, then 29, was killed inside the home in front of her three sons, aged 8, 6, and 2.
Authorities arrested Daniel Bessey nearly a year later in Oklahoma. As per the KRDO report dated January 7, 2013, Bessey had fathered one of Sarah Beasley’s children and was involved in a custody dispute. He was charged with two counts of first-degree murder, burglary, and child endangerment. Cell phone records and a flashlight, found at the scene, connected him to the crime.
The upcoming episode of Fatal Family Feuds on Oxygen revisits the case, shedding light on how family ties and unresolved conflict escalated into a fatal confrontation.
Prosecutors said Daniel Bessey, once in a relationship with Sarah Beasley, was living in Saguache at the time of the killings
In February 2012, Sarah Beasley and John Salazar were shot and killed in their Monte Vista, Colorado, home. Investigators later determined that it was a premeditated attack.
The case drew attention for its disturbing circumstances and eventually led to the arrest and conviction of Daniel Bessey. He had previously been in a relationship with Sarah Beasley and was the father of one of her three children.
His connection to the victims and the timeline of events are now the focus of an upcoming episode of Fatal Family Feuds on Oxygen. The true-crime series explores murders committed within families.
On the morning of February 12, 2012, emergency services responded to a 911 call from a neighbour who reported hearing gunshots.
According to The Cinemaholic report dated April 9, 2021, law enforcement arrived at the residence on Lyell Street. They found John Salazar, 54, fatally shot in the driveway, and Sarah Beasley, 29, killed inside the home. Her three young sons, aged 8, 6, and 2 at the time, were present during the attack.
John Salazar worked as a school custodian for the Monte Vista School District while Sarah Beasley was preparing to become a school counsellor. The family led a quiet life before the murders disrupted their household.
As per a Denver Post article dated February 14, 2012, early speculation suggested a drug-related motive due to a spray-painted message found on the side of the house.
“My drugs are not free,” it read.
However, toxicology reports found no substances in either victim's system. Investigators later concluded it was a staged misdirection, as per a Denver Post report dated February 14, 2012.
Cell tower evidence and flashlight clue unravel alibi
The investigation took a turn when detectives revisited Sarah Beasley’s past relationships. Daniel Bessey became a person of interest due to a known custody dispute over their child. At the time of the shootings, Bessey claimed to be more than three hours away in Montrose, working a trucking job.
However, prosecutors used cell phone tower data to undermine that alibi. As reported by The Pueblo Chieftain on December 23, 2014, Bessey’s phone had pinged off a tower in Gunnison significantly closer to Monte Vista on the morning of the murders. A flashlight found at the crime scene also became a key piece of evidence.
Though the murder weapon was never recovered, prosecutors linked Bessey to the flashlight, suggesting it placed him at the scene. Additionally, one of Sarah Beasley’s sons reported seeing a masked man in black clothing shoot his mother and signal him to stay quiet. He added a harrowing eyewitness element to the case.
Bessey, who was living in Saguache at the time, a small town south of Monte Vista, was arrested in Oklahoma nearly a year later in January 2013. According to a CBS News report dated December 3, 2014, he was extradited to Colorado to face charges. These included two counts of first-degree murder, burglary, criminal mischief, and multiple counts of child abuse and reckless endangerment.
During the trial in Del Norte, prosecutors presented digital evidence, eyewitness accounts, and the flashlight discovery to build their case. Bessey was ultimately found guilty and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, plus an additional 32 years for the burglary charge. As per The Denver Post report dated July 28, 2021, Johnny Salazar, the victim’s eldest son, stated:
“Our father was the rock of our family, and that rock has been taken away.”
Fatal Family Feuds on Oxygen revisits the Monte Vista case
By retracing the events leading up to the murders, season 2 of Fatal Family Feuds on Oxygen explores Sarah Beasley’s strained relationship with Bessey. It also examines the failed attempts to mislead investigators with misleading graffiti. Through this, the show provides a detailed look into a case where trust, proximity, and motive intersected violently.
Daniel Bessey is currently serving his sentence at Fremont Correctional Facility in Cañon City, Colorado. His conviction closed a case that had haunted Monte Vista and left three young boys without their mother.
Stay tuned for more updates.
