Gang Killed Father of 6 in Alabama Using Baseball Bat and later Stuffed Him in Barrel; Sentenced after Guilty Plea in Court
A 24-year-old man has admitted to committing capital murder in the tragic case of a Blount County father of six who was brutally beaten to death with a baseball bat.
Ryan Hunter Farr pleaded guilty on Tuesday morning for the 2019 murder of 35-year-old Adam Beard and has been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
A man named Beard was reported missing in September 2019, and unfortunately, his decomposing body was discovered the following day.
A 40-year-old woman named Sara Burgess Moore recently pleaded guilty to felony murder and has been handed a 50-year prison sentence. A 24-year-old woman named Haley Ragsdale pleaded guilty to felony murder in July 2023 and received a 24-year prison sentence.
The trial date for Jesus “Jesse” Flores, 43, has yet to be announced.
“The day that Mr. Beard’s family has been eagerly anticipating has finally arrived,” expressed Blount County District Attorney Pamela Casey. However, this matter is far from being resolved. We are still waiting for the trial of a co-defendant who has not taken responsibility for his involvement in this offense.
Prosecutors are pushing for the most severe punishment for Flores. On September 2, 2019, Beard’s mother reported him missing to the Blount County Sheriff’s Office.
A decomposing body was found on September 3, 2019, wrapped in plastic and placed in a barrel behind a residence on Page Springs Road in Blountsville. He suffered severe head and neck injuries from blunt force trauma.
According to Casey, the investigation revealed that Beard’s death involved a robbery where his personal belongings and blue scooter were taken.
On Tuesday, Blount County dispatchers received a distressing call from a concerned woman. She reported that she had received information about her friend, Beard, being shot in the head. Shockingly, the caller claimed that Beard’s body had been concealed in a barrel, wrapped in carpet, and hidden behind a trailer at a location on Page Springs Road in Blountsville, known as “Sarah’s”.
On that very day, authorities arrived at the 1200 block of Page Springs Road. Upon arrival, they detected a strong smell and traced it to a barrel containing a deceased individual.
Investigators were able to secure a search warrant for the residence located at 1276 Page Springs Road. Upon entering, they noticed what seemed to be blood spatter in various locations throughout the trailer.
In addition, a portion of the carpet in the bedroom had been taken out. The carpet had been removed, leaving behind a noticeable brownish-red stain.
Moore was subsequently interviewed by detectives from the sheriff’s office. After being read her rights, she proceeded to provide investigators with her account of the events.
According to court documents, the suspects in Beard’s slaying have provided multiple versions of events, each one seemingly blaming the other. Moore stated that Beard visited her trailer to retrieve a phone from Flores.
Upon entering, Flores and Farr viciously attacked Beard, repeatedly striking him in the head with a baseball bat. According to Moore, she was in the bathroom when she overheard Flores and Farr exchanging words like “It’s my turn” and “give me the bat.”
According to Moore, after repeatedly striking Beard, the men decided to cover his head with a garbage bag because he was still breathing and they believed he wouldn’t succumb.
After restraining him, the individuals proceeded to conceal the body beneath the trailer. According to Moore, Hunter and Flores allegedly removed drugs and cash from Beard’s pocket.
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According to her account, the carpet in the bedroom was removed and Beard’s cell phone was thrown into a field behind the trailer.
According to her, Beard arrived at the trailer on a scooter. A helmet was discovered in Moore’s bedroom closet.
Moore stated that Hunter and Flores relocated the body from beneath the trailer to the barrel.
Flores, who was also questioned by detectives, initially stated that he was at Moore’s house on Friday night, drinking with others including Beard, Farr, and Ragsdale. According to his statement, he had departed.
Upon being presented with evidence, Flores admitted that Hunter and Moore were responsible for Beard’s death. According to reports, there were allegations of drug use and a heated argument between Moore and Beard regarding payment to Flores.
Flores claimed that Hunter struck Beard in the head with a bat, while Moore proceeded to enclose Beard in the shower curtain and restrain him.
During Farr’s interview, he stated that Flores was responsible for Beard’s death, which occurred while he and Moore were present as reported by Alabama News.
Another man was interviewed by detectives, claiming that Ragsdale had confided in him about “having it done.” Ragsdale, when questioned, stated that Beard had previously approached her in a confrontational manner.
