AKRON, OH (WOIO) -
A jury is now deciding if the convicted Craigslist killer should be put to death or put in prison for life. Jurors started deliberating in the death penalty phase of Richard Beasley's trial around 2:30 pm Wednesday.
It only took jurors about one day last week to convict Beasley on three counts of aggravated murder for the deaths of Ralph Geiger, Timothy Kern and David Pauley.
The death penalty phase began Wednesday morning in front of Summit County Common Pleas Court Judge Lynne Callahan.
The prosecution called no witnesses.
The defense called 3 witnesses, including Beasley's mom, Carol.
She took the stand Wednesday and described Beasley's early years and abuse by his stepfather.
"Richard was very mistreated by him. I remember shortly after we were married, Richard was riding his little tricycle around the house and he told him to stop," Carol said. "He (Richard) didn't get stopped quick enough, and he took an extension cord and whipped him with it."
Beasley and his teen accomplice, Brogan Rafferty, lured men to a remote farm in Noble County through a Craigslist ad that promised work. Geiger, Kern and Pauley were killed, a fourth man Scott Davis, was shot, but survived.
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Richard Beasley
