Man Sentenced to 30 Years After Encasing Victim in Concrete in Aurora Crawl Space
A man who helped conceal a body in a makeshift concrete grave inside an Aurora home has been sentenced to 30 years in prison as part of a plea agreement. The case, which began with a disturbing tip and ended with the discovery of a “clandestine grave,” involved two suspects and a long-missing victim.
Haskel Crawford, 40, pleaded guilty in March to second-degree murder and a sentence enhancement for committing a violent crime resulting in death. In exchange, the district attorney dropped the more severe charges of first-degree murder and tampering with a deceased body. A judge officially handed down his sentence Thursday, with over two years of credit for time already served.
Aurora Police launched their investigation in April 2023 after receiving information that a missing man had been killed and buried inside a condo located in the 14600 block of East 2nd Avenue. When officers executed a search warrant, they discovered a body encased in concrete beneath the crawl space.
The victim was identified as 36-year-old Karl Beaman Jr., who was previously reported missing for nearly a year. Beaman and Crawford were reportedly accomplices in an attempted catalytic converter theft in Littleton in spring 2022. During the incident, a resident confronted the two men. Crawford allegedly opened fire but did not hit the resident. However, police recovered DNA from a shell casing at the scene, which later led to Crawford’s arrest.
The second suspect, Casie Bock, pleaded guilty in September 2023 to being an accessory to a crime. She received a deferred four-year sentence after prosecutors dismissed charges of tampering with a body and witness intimidation.
The case concluded this week with Crawford’s sentencing, closing a grisly chapter involving deception, violence, and a body hidden in plain sight.
