UPDATE: Three charged with criminal homicide after 2020 beating death
Jul. 13—WATSONTOWN — Two Watsontown adults and their juvenile nephew were charged this morning with criminal homicide in a beating death that allegedly occurred inside a Groover Road dwelling two years ago.
Thomas Allen Huffman, 44, and Dorothy Mae Huffman, 45, and their nephew Kayden Curtis Koser, 17, all of 415 Groover Road, Watsontown, allegedly beat Richard Leroy Jameson II to death with fists and a wooden paddle and then buried him in a wooded area behind the house. The victim had been battling cancer at the time of his death, according to court documents.
State police at Milton wrote in court documents that an intense investigation started Monday evening after they were tipped off by a person who had received information about what happened in the home from a woman who witnessed it.
Court papers do not indicate the age of the victim or his relationship to the Huffmans and Koser.
The three defendants were arraigned on Wednesday morning before Milton area District Judge Michael Diehl and committed to the Northumberland County Jail without bail.
They were all charged by Trooper James Nestico, of the Milton State Police Barracks, with the same criminal offenses: an open count of criminal homicide, a felony count of aggravated assault, and misdemeanor counts of tampering with physical evidence and abuse of a corpse.
The exact date of the incidents was not included in the police report, but court documents do state that the crimes occurred between Jan. 1, 2020, and Aug. 30 that same year.
Witness comes forward
State police at Milton said they were contacted by Ashley Eichenlaub at 8:35 p.m. Monday. She told police that Deborah Walker told her and Brandy Lewis about the homicide of Jameson that had occurred at the Delaware Township home approximately two years ago. Eichenlaub said she never met Jameson and Lewis said she had met him several times.
Walker said she had temporarily lived at the Groover Road residence with the Huffmans, Koser and Jameson. One day, Jameson was allegedly "severely beaten" by the three individuals with a wooden paddle, having been struck about the body and head to the point where he was "severely bleeding and disorientated, police said.
Walker told police that she tried to help Jameson down the hallway to the bathroom, but he collapsed before making it there. Jameson was placed in a seated position on the living room couch, but he repeatedly slumped over before ultimately falling to the floor. While he was on the floor, Walker said that Dorothy Huffman allegedly placed a pillow under Jameson's head and then allegedly slammed his head into the pillow, police said.
Walker described Jameson as straight and parallel to the couch. Dorothy Huffman allegedly spoke to her husband and said they needed to do something with Jameson because he was dead, police wrote in court papers.
Thomas Huffman and Koser allegedly wrapped Jameson in a bed comforter, carried him outside and then buried him with lime behind the house in a wooded area described as "the island," a portion of land located northwest of the residence and surrounded by cornfields, police said.
Walker, who now resides in Williamsport, said she was afraid to call the police due to being previously threatened, police said.
Lewis said she asked Dorothy Huffman where Jameson was and was told they wouldn't see him anymore because he moved out with Jacqueline Marr Jennings, of West Reading. When contacted by police, Jennings told investigators she hadn't seen Jameson since 2014 or 2015 when she lived at Groover Road with the family for a month, according to court documents.
Phone conversation
Police, along with Northumberland County Assistant District Attorney Robyn Zenzinger, had Walker call Dorothy Huffman on Tuesday. They discussed putting flowers on the grave, according to court documents.
"Just watch what you say because if it gets out, we're all in trouble, you know that?" Huffman allegedly said to Walker, according to court documents.
Walker said she feels bad about what happened and Huffman allegedly agreed, according to court documents.
"We all panicked," Huffman allegedly said, according to court documents.
Huffman allegedly added, "He was dying anyway, Debbie. He had cancer. I know he didn't deserve it from any of them and it was Billy who did the worst of it. I got an odd feeling there's something more to this. Should I be looking for the cops at my front door? I don't know exactly where he is," according to court documents.
Walker asked Huffman who knows where Jameson is buried, and Huffman allegedly answered, "Tom and Kayden," according to court documents.
Search warrant executed
A search warrant was obtained through Northumberland County Judge Hugh Jones. Dorothy Huffman and Koser were located in Williamsport outside Walker's residence and detained for questioning.
According to court papers filed with the arrest, Dorothy Huffman confessed to knowing that Jameson had been assaulted in her house, which led to his death. She also stated that she knows Jameson is buried in the woods behind her residence. She admitted to having struck Jameson during the assault several times with the wooden paddle on the night of his death, police wrote in arrest documents.
Thomas Huffman, who arrived at his residence during the search warrant execution, was also detained and questioned. Huffman led police to the back of the property in a heavily wooded area and indicated a spot on the ground where Jameson was buried, arrest papers state.
According to court documents filed with his arrest, Thomas Huffman admitted to striking Jameson several times with his fists and a wooden paddle on the night of his death. He confessed to carrying Jameson's body, digging the grave and burying Jameson with the help of Koser, state police wrote in arrest papers.
