ABINGTON, Pa. (KYW Newsradio) — New details have emerged in the case of a 44-year-old Abington woman accused of killing and dismembering her parents earlier this year. Prosecutors say she did it because they caught her stealing from them.
Verity Beck was charged with two counts of first-and-third degree murder and abuse of corpse. Beck is accused of killing her parents, Reid, 73, and Miriam, 72, in January, then dismembering their bodies with a chainsaw in an effort to dispose of the remains.
Prosecutors have asked the court to allow them to introduce evidence at trial showing the defendant’s financial issues, including a bankruptcy in 2020. They say the bankruptcy shows her “need for money and financial security.” Prosecutors also point to what they describe as “angry” text messages to Beck from her parents after they discovered unauthorized purchases and a missing check.
In a court filing, prosecutors allege Beck “wanted money she didn’t have so she took it.” They go on to say that when her father figured it out, “Instead of facing the music, she called a gun store, then drove there to buy two guns.”
Beck lived with her parents. Her brother told police he went to check on Reid and Miriam Beck on Jan. 17, after he hadn’t talked to them for several days. He found his father’s body in a bedroom covered by a sheet, with a bloody chainsaw next to it. Police found the mother’s remains in a trash can in the garage.
Her brother also told police he then talked to his sister for about 30 minutes, trying to convince her to call police, but she told him she “needed more time.” He then went home to call 911.
Beck has been held without bail since January. Her trial is scheduled to start next February. If convicted, she could face life behind bars. At her arraignment hearing in August, prosecutors announced they would not seek the death penalty.