Man Charged In Father’s Death 4 Years Later

Four years after a man was killed in Pottawatomie County, state investigators are officially investigating his death as a homicide.

Disturbing details were revealed after the victim's son was formally charged in his death. 

According to court filings the defendant, Thomas Beeson, was arrested in April following a string of arsons in Pottawatomie County.

Initially developed as an arson suspect in recent fires, when questioned, court filings showed Beeson felt jilted out of his father's money and murdered him.

“She said the entire field is on fire, and I had her call 911,” said resident Dustin Broughton.

Dustin Broughton said his wife called after spotting a burning field on her way home. He said several more fires then erupted.

“It happened really fast, one day, all at once,” said Broughton.

In the weeks leading up to the fires McKenzie Broughton said they noticed debris suddenly being dumped on the parcel of land that had burned. 

“We started noticing this whole section started filling up with couches, beds, bed frames,” said Broughton.  

In February, the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture and the Office of the State Fire Marshal began investigating fires on property once owned by Thomas Beeson's family. 

Questioned by investigators in April, court filings showed while Beeson initially denied setting the house fire that killed his father Rocky in 2018, he later admitted to contriving the plan with two other people.

“To know someone was living so close and could do something so malicious is disgusting,” said Broughton. 

According to court documents, Beeson claimed as another man placed his father in a "rear naked choke," he entered the home because "he wanted his father to know that he had a hand in his father being hurt or robbed."

Seven months after Rocky's death, according to court filings, Beeson admitted to stabbing his grandfather to death and beating him inside his trailer. But despite Beeson’s documented confession, he was acquitted in 2021. 

While Beeson claims two other people helped him murder his father, The Oklahoma Department of Agriculture would not discuss their roles in the investigation, and only said their investigation was not complete.