Fort Hall Man Sentenced for Murder of 23-year-old Man

POCATELLO, Idaho (KLIX)-A 27-year-old Fort Hall man will spend a little more than 27 years in federal prison for stabbing and dumping the body of another young man on an Idaho tribal reservation in 2018. The U.S. District Attorney's office for Idaho announced Justin Beasley was sentenced to a little more than 27 years behind bars on second-degree murder for the death of 23-year-old Austin Pevo. A jury trial convicted Beasley earlier in August. Acting U.S. Attorney Gonzalez said in a prepared statement, “Prosecuting violent crimes in Indian Country is a priority for my office, and I hope this sentence brings some amount of closure and justice to the victim’s family.”

Pevo had been dropped of at a residence on the Fort Hall Reservation in early February 2018 to do some work chopping wood. Beasley was also there among others. The two men got into an argument which ended with Beasley stabbing Pevo twice in the chest. Pevo's body was then taken to a remote area in the Arbon Valley of the reservation and dumped. Family reported Pevo missing, but tribal authorities couldn't find any evidence of his whereabouts.

Eventually, in August of 2019, a witness to the murder informed police of what happened to Pevo and a search warrant was executed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation on the residence where he had died. The witness also told authorities about the three men, including Beasley, who had taken Pevo's body to the remote area. One of the men involved admitted to helping and showed investigators where Pevo's body was dumped. Investigators found Pevo's remains, clothing, and personal items.

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