Joseph Beam was sentenced to 50 years to life in prison Monday after pleading guilty to the first-degree murder of his father, Jason Beam.
The 19-year-old was indicted in September 2020 on the charge of “physically assaulting” his father “multiple times with a hammer and knife” in their Antrim home on Nov. 1, 2019. Beam was arrested in 2019 and has been held without bail ever since.
Public defender and lead counsel in Beam’s defense Hanna Kinne said the deal was negotiated with the state, and his sentence is final. He has the potential to have two years suspended from his sentence for completing an associate’s degree, and another two years if he completes mental health treatment and counseling.
“It’s a really sad case, for everyone,” Kinne said.
Beam spoke at his sentencing, apologizing to his family for the pain his actions might have caused.
”He made a nice statement that demonstrates his remorse and his regret, and still working on trying to figure out why it happened,” Kinne said.