A Joliet man faces a host of felonies, including murder, related to the beating death of a Hanover Park man inside his home.
Brandon Beamish, 27, was charged with first-degree murder, home invasion, residential burglary and armed violence related to the May 16 death of Fred Boerma, 58, authorities said. Boerma was found dead inside his home in the 7900 block of Northway Drive in the northwest suburb.
Authorities said Beamish and an unidentified accomplice allegedly entered Boerma’s house, intent on stealing a safe, when he confronted them. Beamish is accused of striking the older man twice with the butt of a handgun before leaving with his safe, Assistant State’s Attorney James Murphy said.
Surveillance video on Boerma’s block captured two men, one of them matching Beamish’s 6-foot-4-inch stature, leaving the house carrying a heavy object, Murphy said. The men went back to Beamish’s home, where they used tools to crack the safe, prosecutors said. Boerma was found dead inside his home from blunt force trauma, authorities said.
Hours after the incident, Beamish met with his accomplice and a witness, who allegedly heard Beamish admit to participating in the home invasion but didn’t know that Boerma had died from his injuries, Murphy said. Cameras at a Melrose Park pawnshop later allegedly captured Beamish pawning two rings taken from the safe, authorities said.
Once in police custody, Beamish admitted to participating in the crime and admitted using a gun, Murphy said. After serving a search warrant at his home, authorities discovered a handgun with a bloodstained handle, as well as bloodstained jeans, Murphy said.
Beamish’s Chevy Tahoe was later found abandoned in Rockdale, where authorities found what appeared to be blood inside. GPS information on Beamish’s phone also placed him at Boerma’s house at the time of the killing, Murphy said.
Beamish’s court-appointed attorney said he was a married father of four who recently lost his forklift operating job.
Judge Susana Ortiz granted a request holding Beamish without bail pending trial because of the copious amount of evidence and his criminal background, which includes a gun and robbery convictions.
Beamish returns to court on Wednesday.
