Eric Dennis Beasley
When asked by police, all witnesses said the same. They heard several shots, but nobody actually witnessed the shooting. An autopsy revealed that Eric Beasley had been shot six times. The fatal bullet entered through the hip and moved up to his heart. The first bullet to hit Beasley was in his throat. The impact of this shot spun him around and made him collapse on his knees. Eventually he fell face down, and that is how he was found, in a pool of blood. He was 35 years old.
Beasley’s case is a great example of how cases should not be handled. The most vital details are missing such as his date of birth, full name and address, information about relatives, phone records, etc. When you read through the file, it becomes clear that Beasley was hanging out with a crowd of dubious reputation. Everyone has more than one name, everyone has been someone’s partner, and there is a mix of accusations to settle old scores and, to create tension in new relationships.
The sad part about this case, is that it is very likely that Beasley had a daughter in Chicago. Some people mentioned he travelled to Chicago quite a bit, in part, to see her. There is no information in the Beasley file about a daughter and as far as I know, there have been no inquiries from young ladies searching for their father with Beasley’s name.
The Police Department received tips and anonymous phone calls, but none led to answers. Officers searched houses, questioned people, and dug into everything that might become a lead, but to no avail. This much we do know:
● His antimony and barium tests were insignificant. Tests were done to see whether Beasley himself had handled a gun lately. It should be noted that the swabs taken from Beasley’s hands were not handled correctly. According to an FBI report, swabs should not be packed in wood, paper, or glass since these materials can add barium to the swabs.
● Beasley’s girlfriend had known him since October 1985. He stayed with her on and off. According to her, he was abusive and she had called the police on several occasions. Upon checking the file though, there is no further information about reports of domestic violence or 911 calls. Apparently three weeks before his death, he was more drug dependent than ever. The last time she had spoken to him was over the telephone, the Thursday before his death.
● before Beasley was shot, he had a run in with two people over money and drugs.
● After travelling through many hands, a Colt .32 caliber automatic was handed over to Police and sent to Springfield, to see whether cartridges and bullets found at the crime scene, came from this weapon. The file does not mention any results. There is no indication either that the Colt was swaped for finger prints.
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| Name | Eric Beasley |
| Date | Dec 21, 1986 |
| Gender | Male |
| City | Champaign |
| County | Champaign |
| State | IL |
| Country | USA |
| Contact PD | |
| Police Department | Champaign Police Department |
| Status | open, inactive |
Categories: Unsolved
Tags: Antimony, Barium, Champaign, Colt .32, DNA, Drugs, Eric Dennis Beasley, FBI, Finger Printing, Forensics, Illinois, Informants, Police, Sources, Unsolved Homicide, Victim, Witnesses