New detectives crack years-long unsolved murder

Published 7:44 am Monday, May 20, 2024

SOUTH BEND — The Pacific County Sheriff’s Office made an arrest in a nine-year cold case in the death of Jeffrey Beach on July 3, 2015, after a major breakthrough following a formal inquest that hammered down strong witness testimony.

The suspect, Charles J. Watts, 43, of Vancouver, was arrested on May 17.

“We want to give praise to Sheriff Daniel Garcia, Detective Cory Nacnac, Detective Kevin Acdal and Prosecutor Michael Rothman for caring enough to bring justice to a case that was given up on by prior officials,” Keith Beach, the victim’s father, said. “Detective Nacnac has shown a degree of professionalism and sensitivity that any victim or victim’s family would be grateful for. His hard work and commitment is the type of public service we were hoping for from the day our son was murdered.”

Nine years without answersThe case that haunted the Long Beach Peninsula was revisited after Sheriff Daniel Garcia took office and appointed deputies Nacnac and Acdal as part-time detectives. Nacnac was specifically tasked with looking into the case to “see what it would take to solve it.”

Beach, who was 36 at the time, was located unresponsive by first responders after his friends called 911 and stated he was assaulted in the dunes off of 120th Place. He was transported to Ocean Beach Hospital before being airlifted to a Portland-area trauma center, where he succumbed to his injuries.

Pull Quote

‘I totally agree he did not deserve to die.

Yes, he deserved to be hit and beaten up

maybe, but he did not deserve to die.’

A then-16-year-old girl whose alleged sexual assault resulted in the beating death of a man

According to an autopsy conducted by the Oregon State Medical Examiner’s Office, Beach’s death was ruled a “homicide, with other significant findings listed as strangulation.” The official cause of death was determined to be “blunt force head trauma.”

The July 4th holiday weekend in 2015 was nothing short of complete chaos on the peninsula, which ended with Beach’s death and state officials deciding to clear the entire beach due to unruly crowds.

Hushed investigation

Details about the moments leading up to Beach’s murder have been held under wraps by the sheriff’s office for years, with few details emerging until now. The assault was only stated to have started following alleged inappropriate behavior by Beach.

According to new court records, before he was attacked, Beach and a female companion, Sheila Cooper, walked up to another group. At some point, he allegedly grabbed an approximately 16-year-old female in the groin area and stated, “This one’s mine.” She then yelled she had been sexually assaulted.

The attack on Beach then took place in two incidents about 50 yards apart, according to court documents; the first followed the alleged sexual assault and the second as Beach attempted to flee into the dunes and was followed. Witnesses recount in court records what they remember.

The first attack allegedly involved three individuals, including Watts, his twin brother Clarence Watts, and Dejour Owens.

The allegedly assaulted girl “told [witness Scott Headrick] that she called her father, and her father and uncle came down, and the uncle beat J. Beach until he fell down,” Nacnac stated in court records. “At this time, J. Beach began running away, [the girl’s] father chased him down and beat him until he was unconscious.”

Substantial information but no arrestThe initial investigation was undertaken by PCSO Deputy Sean Eastham and then handed over to then-detective Ryan Tully, who now works for the Grays Harbor Sheriff’s Office. Following the trail of information, Tully acquired communications between the girl and Headrick that alluded to murder.

The girl “stated that she did not want to speak with Headrick over the phone about it,” Nacnac recounted in his report. The girl “also told him that everything was dropped, no one was going to jail, and when Headrick asked if her dad was safe then, she replied in the affirmative.”

The girl “stated that ‘it was an accident…but they didn’t mean to do it.’ Headrick then stated later, ‘It’s good your dad and your uncle came down. It’s kind of like teaching him a lesson.’ In response, the girl stated, ‘Yeah, but like it was a lesson that went too far,’ and continued by stating, ‘I totally agree he did not deserve to die. Yes, he deserved to be hit and beaten up maybe, but he did not deserve to die,’” Nacnac added in his report.

According to court records, between Aug. 19, 2015, and Feb. 22, 2018, the case sat relatively dormant with no major leads until Tully received a new tip. The tipster alleged that they had been “reminiscing” with the sexual assault victim and the topic of the incident came up.

She “told [a friend] that ‘he beat him until he died,” Nacnac recounted in court records.

Tully also acquired Facebook records between her and the tipster, which fueled the fire of who was responsible for Beach’s death. She is recorded on July 4, 2015, saying, “I’m not leaving my dad” and that “He killed someone.”

“[A friend] replies with ‘no way,’ and [the girl] responds with ‘That guy is dead.’ [The friend] continues to express disbelief, and [the girl] further refined the disclosure by stating, ‘The one that molested me.’ [The friend] inquires, ‘Like dead dead,’ and [the girl] responds, ‘They ducking beat him to death,’” Nacnac stated in court records.

Records suggest Watts was there

According to cell phone records obtained by Tully, Watts was definitively located on the beach at the time of the murder. He also received a call that day from an inmate, Mary E. Jones, at the Washington Corrections Center for Women, to whom he stated he was in “Long Beach.”

Audio records from a conversation between Watts and inmate Patrick M. Forbes at the Stafford Correction Center on Aug. 22, 2015, also played a pivotal role in the case. On more than one occasion in the conversation, Watts alluded to committing a major crime.

Watts told Forbes that he had bad news that he could not say over the phone and clarified that no charges were filed and that he was waiting to see what happened.

“Approximately 11 minutes and 37 seconds into the call, Charles said to Forbes, ‘Yeah, there’s bad news, but I can’t talk to you about it on the phone,’” Nacnac recounted in court records. “Forbes replied, ‘Oh yeah, a court case?’ Charles said, ‘Uh, not yet. Not yet, but we’ll see what happens.’”

“After Forbes said, ‘Alright,’ Charles said, ‘I might see, though.’ Forbes said, ‘Can you let me know the nature of it?’ Charles replied, ‘Uh, it’s probably the most extreme.’’ Forbes said, ‘The most extreme.’ Charles replied, ‘Yeah … yeah, unfortunately.’”

Watts went on to provide some clarification.

“Forbes said, ‘I don’t know what the most extreme can be,’” Nacnac recounted in court records. “Charles mumbled. ‘Yeah, well, I don’t really want to talk about it on the phone.’ Forbes asked, ‘Is it some strange stuff?’ Charles replied, ‘No, no, it’s not strange, but it’s the most serious you can though.’”

Watts clarified that it was not rape, but he would not go into further detail.

A fresh set of eyes

According to court records, the case had no developments between Aug. 22, 2015 and March 2023.

Things quickly changed after Nacnac stepped in with an entirely new set of eyes. He coordinated with the county prosecutor’s office to try and elicit a Special Inquiry proceeding to hash down statements and new evidence in the case, which is essentially Washington’s version of a grand jury but only heard by a special judge in confidential proceedings.

“On or about mid-April 2024, I was informed by Michael Rothman, the Pacific County Prosecuting Attorney, that he had a meeting with a Special Inquiry Judge, and from that meeting, he had subpoenas for the witnesses that I had recommended,” Nacnac stated in court records.

Nacnac, along with Acdal and the FBI, conducted interviews between May 10 and May 15 and acquired substantial information from other witnesses, including the woman involved in the initial encounter with Beach and another woman.

After interacting with law enforcement at the scene, some of the parties engaged in more conversation and instruction on keeping stories straight and to say that Charles Watts was not involved, Nacnac stated in court records.

The witness also told investigators that they saw Watts chasing after Beach.

The victim of the alleged sexual assault “stated that she believes Charles Watts was involved in Jeffrey Beach’s death by his demeanor at that time and the time surrounding,” Nacnac stated in court records. “She states that he appeared nervous and in a hurry to leave the scene.”

She “also states that she believes her father was capable of losing control and killing Jeffrey at that time,” Nacnac adds.

She allegedly also told the investigators that on the morning of May 15 of this year, her father, whom she was living with, showed her how to access financial information and that she believed he knew the gig was up and he was about to be arrested.

Arrest warrant, apprehension

According to sheriff’s office spokesman Cmdr. Michael Parker, an arrest warrant was obtained on May 16 and investigators, including Nacnac, Acdal, and the U.S. Marshals Service, closed in on Watts. Nacnac reportedly called Watts and informed him he was targeted for arrest and that it was in his best interest to turn himself in.

Watts subsequently turned himself in to Nacnac and Acdal. He was transported to the Pacific County Jail and booked for second-degree murder and first-degree manslaughter. He is currently being held on $1 million bail.