A 23-year-old man was arrested in Fort Myers, Florida, after he allegedly confessed to murdering his mother, setting her body on fire and starting a fire inside the home where they both lived, authorities reported.
The suspect, identified as George Beemer, faces charges of second-degree murder, first-degree arson and abuse of a corpse, according to the Lee County Sheriff's Office.
The investigation began Saturday, when Beemer called 911 to report he was suffering from chest pain. While he was being taken to a hospital, emergency services received another call about a fire at the same residence, located on Ranchette Road in Fort Myers.
They found the victim's body inside the house
Upon arriving at the scene, firefighters found the body of a woman with severe burns in the kitchen of the home, according to court documents cited by local media.
According to the police report, Beemer later confessed that he shot his mother once before pouring gasoline around her body and setting her on fire.
Authorities indicated that the defendant stated that his mother “wanted to be cremated” after she died.
The identity of the victim has not been officially released by authorities.
During his statement to police, Beemer claimed that he decided to kill his mother because of years of alleged abuse and claimed that she had sexually abused him.
So far, these accusations have not been corroborated by the authorities and are part of the statements made by the accused himself during the investigation.
People close to the family rejected that version. A family friend, who asked not to be identified, told WINK News that she does not believe Beemer's allegations.
“There is absolutely no way,” he said. "I'll never believe it. I think he's using that as a defense mechanism to try to justify what happened."
The woman also said that her first reaction upon learning about the case was to wonder if the young man had used drugs on the day of the incident.
He remains detained while the investigation progresses
Beemer remains held in the Lee County Jail while facing court proceedings.
Sheriff Carmine Marceno described the case as “one of the most horrible acts of violence imaginable” and highlighted the coordinated work between agents, firefighters, emergency medical personnel and detectives to clarify what happened.
“The cruelty in this case goes beyond all comprehension,” Marceno said in a statement. He added that authorities will continue working to provide answers to the victim's family and loved ones as the investigation progresses.
For her part, a former classmate of the accused, identified as Madison Edwards, said she felt shocked by what happened.
“We were completely shocked,” he said. Although he noted that he was not surprised that Beemer ended up in prison, he said that he was surprised by the reason he was arrested.
