Daughter charged with killing parents in Abington Township
ABINGTON TOWNSHIP, Pa. (CBS) -- A woman has been arrested in connection to brutally killing both of her parents inside an Abington Township home, authorities said Wednesday. Verity A. Beck, 43, was hit with first and third-degree murder charges for allegedly killing her mother and father, Reid and Miriam Beck.
Detectives allege Verity Beck shot her 72-year-old mother and 73-year-old father and then used an electric chainsaw to dismember the remains. Investigators say an autopsy showed that both her parents were shot once in the head.
"There were signs of extreme trauma, and I'll tell you that the chainsaw was found," Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steele said. "Both Reid and Miriam were found in different stages of dismemberment, and that was one of the reasons that it's taken the time today for us because these were not easy autopsies to conduct."
"This is somebody that is disremembering her mother and father and putting body parts in trash cans, so clearly she's trying to get rid of the evidence," he added.
Justin Beck, the brother of Verity, went to check on his parents Tuesday night at their residence on the 1100 block of Beverly Road because he hadn't spoken to them since Jan. 7. It's believed they might've been killed on that date.
When he entered the home, Justin Beck saw a dead body covered with a bloody sheet. He told police he also came into contact with his sister, who he spoke to for about half an hour. He then went home to call the police.
When police arrived, investigators said they were able to identify both deceased parents and noticed an odor inside the home.
Police say they found three handguns along with the chainsaw inside the house. Two of them were registered to Verity Beck. Investigators also found an in-wall safe in a second-floor bedroom along with some tools and drill marks on the safe.
Before taking Verity Beck into custody, police used a drone and a robot to figure out what was going on inside the home for their own safety.
When officers entered the residence and called out for Verity Beck, she appeared in the kitchen.
According to court documents, police asked, "Where are your parents?"
Verity Beck allegedly replied: "They are dead."
Miriam Beck worked as a school nurse at Lower Moreland High School for 20 years. The school district released a statement about her following the incident:
"As you may have seen or heard from local news agencies this evening, the District has received news of the tragic loss of Miriam (Tonee) Beck, former School Nurse who worked at Lower Moreland High School from 1998 to 2018, and mother of current LMHS faculty member, Mr. Justin Beck. At this time, our thoughts and sympathies are with Mr. Beck and his family.
We know that this may be a difficult time for those of you who have relationships with the Beck family. School counselors, staff and administrators are here to help, should you need it. I'm certain students may process this tragic information differently. As a Lower Moreland family it is important to pull together and check in with one another. Support is available to those who need it. The close knit relationships that are a hallmark of this District are always important, but especially during difficult times like these.
Our K-12 School Counseling Team will be available. In addition, listed are resources for students and families provided by our Counseling Team."
The motive for the double homicide is unknown, according to investigators.
Verity Beck is not eligible for bail and will be held at the Montgomery County Correctional Facility.
