A federal jury in Pocatello, Idaho, has delivered a guilty verdict in the case of Justin Beasley, 27, of Fort Hall, who was charged with second-degree murder.
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, on February 3, 2018, Austin Pevo, 23, was dropped off by his mother at a residence on the Fort Hall Indian Reservation for work cutting firewood. Beasley and others were at the residence at that time.
Beasley and Pevo had an argument, resulting in Beasley stabbing Pevo twice in the chest with a knife. Beasley and two other men then took Pevo’s body to an isolated area in Arbon Valley.
Pevo’s family reported him missing, and the Fort Hall Police Department investigated but was unable to locate any information on Pevo’s whereabouts.
A witness to the events of February 3, 2018, came forward to the Fort Hall Police in August 2019, and reported that Pevo had died on that date and three men who had been at the house removed his body. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) executed a search warrant at the residence and found evidence that Pevo had died there.
One of the men who helped hide the body admitted to his involvement and took FBI agents to the location of Pevo’s remains in Arbon Valley. The agents recovered Pevo’s remains along with clothing and other personal items. DNA testing showed that the remains were those of Pevo.
Beasley was indicted by a federal grand jury on the charge of second-degree murder of Austin Pevo on September 24, 2019. He is scheduled to be sentenced on October 26, 2021, and faces up to life in federal prison.
Acting U.S. Attorney Rafael M. Gonzalez, Jr. praised the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Fort Hall Police Department for their exemplary and thorough investigation of this crime.
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Key Facts
- State: Idaho
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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