Wife's 'Inappropriate Relationship' With Son a Motive in Husband's Botched Hit

Jan. 8, 2013— -- A Las Vegas woman accused of masterminding a botched plot to kill her estranged husband was motivated by a life insurance payout and a romantic relationship with their son, according to a police report.

Amy Pearson, 42, surrendered to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department on Friday on charges of attempted murder, battery and conspiracy to commit murder against her husband, Robert Bessey.

An extensive police report detailing the crime, taped jailhouse conversations and interviews with witnesses was released Monday by the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department.

Bessey, 49, was shot in the neck while driving south on Interstate 15 on Nov. 14, in what the suspects designed to look like a road rage incident, according to the report.

The couple's son, Michael Bessey, 21, and Pearson's brother, Richard Pearson, 39, were arrested for the attempted murder. Surveillance video and witness statements placed both men in the gold SUV that sped up to the elder Bessey's car, according to the police report.

One shot was fired from the vehicle and struck Bessey in the neck, the report said.

Although Michael Bessey and Richard Pearson were arrested, it became evident to investigators that Amy Pearson, motivated by money and a romantic relationship with her son, was the one calling the shots.

The Besseys began their divorce proceedings in May 2012 shortly after Michael was dishonorably discharged from the U.S. Army for sleeping with another man's wife, Robert Bessey told police.

Bessey told police, according to the report, that his son would often "get between him and Amy's relationship," and was the main reason for their divorce.

A $250,000 insurance policy, listing Pearson as the beneficiary, was set to expire as soon as the couple's divorce was finalized, the report said.

"Amy has made various statements to Robert that he is worth more dead than alive," the police report said.

The document details how the relationship between mother and son, along with the financial motive, was corroborated by taped phone calls from jail and the testimony of Bessey's cellmate, who says he confided in him key details about the case.

According to the report, Bessey told his cellmate that after the murder, he and his mother would receive $400,000 in benefits, combining the insurance policy, his father's pension and Social Security.

He confided in his cellmate, who told police, that he wanted his father dead because he physically abused his mother and mentally abused the family, the report said. Bessey told him that his father had also accused him of sleeping in the same bed as his mother, according to the report.

With his share of the money, Bessey allegedly told his cell mate, he would have bought a truck and would never have to work again.

Mother and son seemed fairly confident the charges would be dropped, believing that the power to end the case rested in the hands of Robert Bessey, according to a letter and phone calls detailed in the report.

Shortly after his arrest, the report said Michael Bessey sent a letter to his mother requesting that she ask his father to drop the charges.

"Robert had read the entire letter, which stated, 'I miss touching you,'" the police report said.

Authorities learned more of the "unnatural" relationship between mother and son from witnesses, including an ex-girlfriend and a supervisor at the country western club where Michael Bessey worked as a security guard, according to details in the report.

The supervisor at the club told police that every time Amy Pearson would come in for drinks while her son was working, Michael Bessey would act overprotective, the report said. He told police he observed Pearson and her son being overly affectionate and said they would grab each other's buttocks.

The too-close-for-comfort relationship was also revealed to authorities through recorded phone calls placed from Bessey to his mother from jail, which are detailed in the report.

In a Dec. 29 call, he asked her why she had not picked up the phone when he called earlier, to which Amy Pearson replied that her phone had been on vibrate, the report said, detailing a sexually charged exchange between mother and son.

"Oh yeah," Pearson said.

"I'm glad I could make you happy," Michael replied.

"Thank you for your assistance," Pearson said with a laugh, ending the exchange detailed in the police report.

On Jan. 3, the day before her arrest, Pearson reassured her son in another jailhouse phone call that she believed everything was going to be okay, according to the police report.

The next day, police informed Pearson she was under arrest and arranged for her surrender.

Pearson's attorney, David Jacks, declined to comment on the case.

Pearson is scheduled to appear in Las Vegas Justice Court on Wednesday.