Police say a feud between two 22-year-old Palmer men ended with one fatally shooting the other early Monday while he was working at a local gas station.
Palmer police have arrested Isaac Beshaw on a murder charge in the death of Steven Williams, according to a statement.
Officers were first alerted of the shooting at the Speedway Express gas station on Glacier View Avenue around 12:40 a.m. Monday.
According to a charging document against Beshaw, written by a police detective, officers found Williams dead behind the gas station’s counter. He had been shot at least three times. Officers also saw nine shell casings at the station, said the charging document.
Police say surveillance video showed the suspect – a man wearing a face covering, sunglasses and a hat – walk in through the gas station’s main door, then “immediately turn to the right while drawing a handgun from a holster, approach the register and fire multiple shots at Williams.” Williams fell to the floor and the video shows the suspect stretching over the counter and firing additional shots at him.
Williams’ fiancée told investigators he had recently been arguing with a man later identified as Beshaw. Officers asked Beshaw to visit police headquarters at about 2 a.m. Monday for an interview. He initially denied any involvement in the shooting, the charging document says.
But about an hour later, after detectives left to gather evidence, police said Beshaw confessed to killing Williams in a written statement. The charging document says he wrote that the shooting was the result of a two-year-long feud between the men, and he claimed Williams “started rumors about Beshaw being a rapist.”
“Beshaw wrote that it was at this time he fully decided to go out of his way to get rid of the drama at (its) source by ending Williams’ life,” police said in the charging document.
Beshaw allegedly told police he scouted the gas station for cameras, then waited for customers to leave in an attempt to minimize witnesses. Police said he told investigators he then entered and fired on Williams until a single round was left in his gun’s chamber.
A K-9 unit tracing the route from the gas station to Beshaw’s apartment nearby found a bag of clothing, as well as a shoe matching one found at the apartment. Officers also found a 9mm handgun and holster at the apartment.
Beshaw is charged with first-degree murder and tampering with physical evidence. He is being held at the Mat-Su Pretrial Facility.
Chris Klint is a web producer and breaking news reporter at Alaska Public Media. Reach him at cklint@alaskapublic.org. Read more about Chris here.
