Third Body Linked to Craigslist Ad Identified

Dec. 3, 2011— -- Investigators this morning identified a third body potentially linked to the phony job ad on Craigslist that police believe lured two other victims into a lethal robbery scheme in Ohio, according to the Noble County Sheriff's Office.

The body was identified through an autopsy as 56-year-old Ralph Geiger of Akron, Ohio, who was found in a shallow grave on Nov. 25.

His family has been notified of the identification. The sheriff's office was not sure how long he has been missing.

One of the other bodies, found in a shallow grave behind Rolling Acres Mall in Akron, was identified last week as Timothy Kern, 47, of Massillon, Ohio, who answered the Craigslist ad. Kern had not been seen in more than a week, according to FBI spokeswoman Vicki Anderson.

Police also found the body of 51-year-old David Pauley of Florida in a shallow grave outside Caldwell, Ohio, about 80 miles east of Columbus.

Authorities believe robbery was the motive, and on Nov. 16 took two suspects into custody: a 16-year-old high school student identified by ABC News' Columbus affiliate WSYX-TV as Brogan Rafferty, and 52-year-old Richard Beasley, a purported Ohio chaplain.

Suspect Richard Beasley Defends Himself in Jailhouse Letter

Beasley defended himself Friday in a jailhouse letter. saying he is not a "con man."

Beasley appeared in court Friday for the second time in two days. He was arraigned on 14 counts of promoting prostitution and one count of compelling prostitution. On Thursday, he was arraigned on charges of selling oxycontin.

FBI spokesman Michael Brooks told ABCNews.com that Beasley is a suspect in the Craigslist murder investigation, but would not comment on a report that Beasely is also facing federal charges of kidnapping and wire fraud. Brooks said federal documents in the case have been sealed.

Beasley appeared in court Thursday slumped in a wheelchair, wearing a striped prison uniform and with his head hanging without saying a word. His attorney Rhonda Kotnik did not respond to requests for comment today.

As the charges piled up against him, Beasely wrote to the Beacon Journal to defend his reputation.

"To call me a con man when I sacrificed for others is wrong," wrote Beasley, who has spent 15 of the last 30 years in prison. "To turn their back on me is not following Christ's example. I gave three full years of my life to that ministry and what I got out of it was the satisfaction of doing the right thing.

"I gave away almost all I had and got almost nothing in return," he wrote. "That is not the actions of a con man."

Both Akron churches that Beasley was associated with have denied direct links to the self-styled chaplain and he has been accused of using religious work as a cover for dealing drugs and managing prostitutes.

Beasley said that by helping drug addicts and domestic violence victims, he gained some enemies and he denounced those who have spoken out against him.

"The point is, I have enemies, but for the right reasons," Beasley wrote. "So when you quote someone as a family friend who says something horrible about me, you better believe that's not a family friend."

Reports also emerged that Beasley should not have been free at the time of the Craigslist murders and that he was improperly set free by an Ohio judge.