SALUDA—On October 31, a Middlesex County Circuit Court jury found Tariq Joel Beane of Merry Point guilty of second-degree murder and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony.
Following a three-day trial, the jury found Beane guilty of the murder of Elijah Baker, 18, of Gloucester County, around midnight on March 23 at a party in Locust Hill. Baker died from a bullet that entered his back.
Middlesex County Commonwealth’s Attorney Michael Hurd explained that testimony from witnesses revealed that Baker had been staying at a residence in Locust Hill, where he held a party on March 23. Witnesses testified that Beane and other males had firearms and that Beane’s semi-automatic handgun had an “extended clip” that held more bullets than the standard magazine.
There was witness testimony that a male refused to shake hands…