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After the victim had died, they allegedly bound his hands and feet, dragged the body to a vehicle and drove to a remote area to dump his body
Andrea CavallierTuesday 25 November 2025 16:42 GMT
open image in galleryInvestigators said the brutal bludgeoning was carried out after Weston Owen and Sarah Bess, both 18, along with their 21-year-old friend Kellar Weisgerber. The three allegedly conspired to kill Bess’s uncle inside his home. (Fruita Police Department )
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A 62-year-old man was beaten with a flashlight, strangled, bound and dragged behind a car before his body was dumped in the desert – a killing prosecutors described as “brutal.
Three people, including two teenagers who lived with the victim in Colorado, are now facing murder charges.
Investigators said the brutal bludgeoning happened between late Friday night and early Saturday morning, after Weston Owen and Sarah Bess, both 18, along with their 21-year-old friend Kellar Weisgerber, allegedly conspired to kill Bess’s uncle inside his home. The victim has not yet been officially identified by the Mesa County Coroner’s Office
Fruita police officers and Mesa County sheriff’s deputies responded to the house on Saturday, where Bess and Owen had been living with the victim, to what they described as a “suspicious incident” near the 21 Road desert area.
open image in galleryInvestigators said the brutal bludgeoning was carried out after Weston Owen and Sarah Bess (pictured), both 18, along with their 21-year-old friend Kellar Weisgerber. The three allegedly conspired to kill Bess’s uncle inside his home. (Fruita Police Department)By the end of the day, Owen, Bess and Weisgerber had been taken into custody.
An arrest affidavit obtained by The Daily Sentinel revealed new details of the vicious attack.
On Friday night, the victim, Owen and Bess went to a local bar, with Owen acting as the designated driver. What happened during the drive home is disputed as Bess and Owen offered conflicting accounts, but Owen told investigators he believed the victim had made a move or gesture toward Bess.
After returning to the house, the victim went to sleep. Owen then called Weisgerber and asked him to come over to help “teach (the victim) a lesson,” the affidavit says.
Bess allegedly sent Snapchat messages to another person asking how to torture and murder someone.
open image in galleryOwen (pictured) allegedly called Weisgerber and asked him to come over to help “teach (the victim) a lesson,” the affidavit says (Fruita Police Department)When Weisgerber arrived, they allegedly put their plan into action. Weisgerber was to hold the victim down while Owen attacked him, and Bess was allegedly instructed to turn on the lights, according to authorities.
Owen struck the victim in the head with a flashlight and then strangled him with a cord, police said.
Early Saturday morning, after confirming the victim had died, Weisgerber bound his hands and feet, dragged the body to a vehicle and drove to a remote area. He left the remains hidden behind a bush, according to the affidavit.
Later that morning, Owen and Bess allegedly gathered items stained with the victim’s blood and drove them to the 21 Road desert area to burn them.
While they were setting the items on fire, Bess told investigators she slipped away under the pretense of taking photos. Instead she called her mother, Wendi Bess, and told her that she was afraid Owen would hurt her and asked her to call the police.
She also claimed Owen had previously held a knife to her throat and threatened to kill her if she told anyone about the planned attack.
open image in galleryWhen Weisgerber (pictured) arrived, the teens allegedly put their plan into action and attacked the uncle. (Fruita Police Department)All three suspects were taken into custody and remain behind bars at the Mesa County Detention Center. It’s unclear what led police to their arrests.
Owen, Bess and Weisgerber all appeared in court Monday, where they were charged with first-degree murder, felony evidence tampering, felony abuse of a corpse and felony conspiracy.
Chief Deputy District Attorney Tearsa Olson described the incident as a “brutal attack” and argued all three presented a flight risk due to the severity of the crime.
Judge Bruce Raaum set bond at $2 million cash-only for each defendant. All three are scheduled to return to court on Friday morning.