Fort Sumner man sentenced in 2022 double homicide

A DeBaca County man, convicted in April in the shooting deaths of his friend and friend’s wife in his home in Fort Sumner, has been sentenced to 22 years in prison.

Kelby Randolph, 55, was sentenced Friday by Judge Waylon Counts for the double homicide of Arizonans Brian Beaver, 48, and his wife Rachelle Beaver, 38, in October 2022.

Counts sentenced Randolph to 15 years in prison on each count of second-degree murder with a year added to each count on a firearm enhancement.

Counts suspended 10 years of the 32-year sentence setting five years probation and two years parole at the start of the probation.

Friday’s proceedings included an attempt by Randolph’s attorney, Tomas Benavidez, to have the case dismissed over Special Prosecutor Andrea Reeb’s appointment on the case.

Monday, Counts ruled on Benavidez’s motion writing, “The Special Prosecutor had the authority to prosecute the matter during jury trial.”

According to 10th Judicial District Court records detailing the sentencing hearing, Reeb referred to Randolph’s criminal record as “not a clean record.”

Reeb described arrests and some dismissals for such activity as larceny in Arizona, DWI, a dismissed aggravated assault charge and some felony arrests that were pleaded down to misdemeanors.

Reeb went on to discuss circumstances around the October 2022 double homicide.

Reeb noted Randolph “admitted to numerous people he did it” referring to the shootings of the Beavers.

In the court proceedings record, Reeb is quoted that it, “bothers me more that he has shown no remorse from the day that this happened.”

Reeb said to the court Randolph is an “individual that has no concern, only what’s going to happen to him and his property.”

“I don’t think I saw a tear shed, (it’s) all about him,” Reeb told the court.

In the court record, Benavidez is quoted as saying Randolph is remorseful.

Randolph addressed the court saying, “I ask that this town, the court system and the family accept my deepest apology. I accept full responsibility. Forgive me for not handling the situation better.”

Reeb said Monday, “I was disappointed with the judge’s decision, I had asked for the maximum, 32 1/2 years.”

Reeb expressed disappointment that the net effect was “each person’s life was worth just 11 years”.

“A sentence of 22 years in a double homicide, it was concerning,” Reeb said.

While Brian Beaver’s daughter and mother and Rachelle Beaver’s father’s comments on the sentencing were put before the court, about 10 people and 41 letters were also before the court in support of Randolph.

“I objected to some of the comments made by those in support of Randolph because they were commenting about the evidence versus what they believed he should have gotten in a sentence or what kind of person he was,” Reeb said.

A voicemail request for comment was not returned by Randolph’s attorney, Benavidez, at a phone number listed as his office in Las Vegas, N.M.