RFP Staff
♦ The badly decomposed human remains found in a seldom visited wooded area near the intersection of Bringle Ferry Road and River Road last Saturday were identified as James Michael Beam, 57, of 195 Richfield Road in Richfield, N.C. Beam had been listed as missing since July and had not been seen since April of 2015. At that time Beam was allegedly regarded as a drifter.
Tonight the Rowan County Sheriff’s Office arrested Jessie Gary Rhodes, 35, of Johnson Dairy Road in Rockwell, N.C. and charged him with the murder of James Michael Beam.
With the Assistance of the N.C. State Medical Examiner’s Office, the Rowan County Sheriff’s Office was able to identify Beam’s badly decomposed remains.
No motive for the murder or how Beam was murdered was disclosed. It is also not known if the two men knew each other. The investigation continues.
Rowan County Sheriff’s Office investigators received information that Beam was likely murdered and his body was disposed by his killer. Soon Jessie Gary Rhodes was identified as a key suspect in the murder of James Michael Beam. Tonight an arrest warrant was served on Rhodes.
Rhodes is now in the Rowan County Detention Center without bond. He is charged with murder (first degree). He is slated for a hearing on Monday, December 21st.
The Accused Murderer Jessie Gary Rhodes:
The Murder Victim James Michael Beam:
Beam’s Left Hand Chinese Tat:
Jesse Gary Rhodes Previous Criminal Record:
**This article will be updated all weekend as new information arrives.**
An RFP article posted on December the 13th: “UPDATED: Sheriff’s Office Investigators Confirm Human Remains Found Near Bringle Ferry and River Roads in Rowan County, N.C.”
“**Sunday morning Rowan Sheriff’s Office confirmed that adult human remains were found. Due to the extent of the bone decomposition found at the site, investigators believe the remains were there for several months.**
Rowan County Sheriff’s Office investigators were summoned to a seldom visited wooded area, near the intersection of Bringle Ferry Road and River Road Saturday night, by two bow hunters reporting possible human remains. The remains were spread out over a grassy slope beside the wooded area. The area in southeast Rowan is not far from the Davidson County line.
When investigators arrived, they secured the scene and immediately strung crime scene tape over a fairly sizable area. Investigators attempted to determine whether the remains were human or not.
The approach of daylight on Sunday made the investigation easier. It was confirmed in a report released Sunday morning that badly decomposed human remains were found and that they had been there for some time. Now the investigation will turn to identifying the individual they found and the ways they may have perished. The body may a missing person or someone who ran into foul play at another locale and deposited in the slopes tall grass.
The human skeletal remains, scattered over the area, were collected and removed from the scene. They were sent to the N.C. State Medical Examiner’s Office for further evaluation. It is believed the skeletal remains may have been in the area for several months. Typically when skeletal remains are spread out over an area it is usually the result of carrion eating animals.
Medical examiners and their forensic labs can often take months to identify someone and determine the cause of death.”
