Police Make Arrests in Eight-Year-Old Murder Case

SAN BERNARDINO – Three suspects, arrested in connection with a home invasion and murder case eight years ago, appeared in court this week.

Police said that Michael Mitchell, Jr., 28, Sherry Ann Beck, 32, and Kiesha Renee Smith, 28, had been persons of interest in the 2005 murder of 90-year-old Josephine Kelly. Police said they had been interviewed at various times during the initial stages of the investigation, but there was insufficient evidence to charge any of them with the crime.

Michael Mitchell, Jr., Sherry Ann Beck, and Kiesha Renee Smith

Investigators recently received new information, leading the San Bernardino County District Attorney’s office to review the case, filing murder charges against all three suspects. The new evidence was not disclosed.

Kelly was killed on Sept. 15, 2005 on North Muscupiabe Drive. Police had recently solved another home invasion-murder case, arresting Jerome Anthony Rodgers in the death of a 76-year-old woman, Mary Beth Blaskey, in December 2012. Another victim, Wanda Paulin, 86, was killed in Dec. 2010 on North Mountain View Ave. in San Bernardino. There was evidence that led police to believe that some of the killings were linked.

The home invasion murder occurred in the neighborhood on Muscupiabe Drive

Smith, of Chowchilla, Calif., was currently in Los Angeles County on a burglary conviction. Mitchell was arrested in northern San Bernardino on April 16 by members of the Inland Regional Apprehension Team. On that same day, Beck was also taken into custody. There were no incidents at the time of either arrest.

Mitchell and Beck were taken to West Valley Detention Center on the murder charge while Smith was transferred from her former prison facility to West Valley. There was a $10,000 reward offered for information in the killings of Kelly, Paulin and Blaskey.

Read More:

The Sun: Man, two women arrested in 2005 home invasion killing

Press-Enterprise: Tip cracks cold case of 90-year-old’s killing

NBC Southern California: Suspects Arrested in 2005 San Bernardino Robbery, Murder

CrimeVoice: Police Link DNA to Home Invasion, Murder Suspect