ARIZONA (TNND) — A 79-year-old woman is charged with the murder of her stepfather 50 years ago; his remains were found in the Arizona desert. Carol Ann Beall is also accused of living in her stepfather’s home and collecting his retirement benefits.
Beall was arrested in connection with the death of William Reginald Sipfle on Thursday and charged with first-degree murder, for his murder according to the Pima County Sheriff’s Department.
Sipfle went missing at 73 years old, but family and friends “never made a police report,” according to the Pima County Sheriff’s Office.
Investigators had previously determined the remains that were found at the county waste station in October 1975 belonged to a man, though they could not confirm anything else about them at the time due to technological restraints.
Bealle, Sipfle’s stepdaughter, was considered in the investigation when it was found that she worked at a museum in the area where the remains were found.
Following the May 28 arrest and murder charge, Beall is being held on a $500,000 bond, according to reporting by PEOPLE Magazine.
Prosecutors say Bealle has been living in Sipfle’s home for over 50 years, using his pension and Social Security benefits. In her first virtual court appearance on Thursday, the state claimed that Bealle’s primary source of income came from Sipfle’s death.
