CLEVELAND — Two men who were accused of murdering of a 29-year-old Cleveland woman earlier this year in front of her two children were found guilty on Tuesday.
According to the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor's Office, 50-year-old Jamar Skanes and 35-year-old Alontez Beasley were both found guilty on charges that included aggravated murder and conspiracy to commit murder in the death of 29-year-old Alyson Appling-France.
Skanes and Beasley will be sentenced on October 8.
Prosecutors say Skanes was found guilty on the following charges:
- One count of Aggravated Murder
- One count of Conspiracy to Commit Murder
- Two counts of Murder
- Five counts of Felonious Assault
Beasley was found guilty on the following charges:
- One count of Aggravated Murder
- One count of Conspiracy to Commit Murder
- Two counts of Murder
- One count of Involuntary Manslaughter
- Five counts of Felonious Assault
- One count of Having Weapons While Under Disability
Authorities are still searching for a third suspect in the case, 43-year-old Clarence Bennett, who also faces a charge of aggravated murder along with several other counts after being indicted in June.
"Alontez Beasley and Jamar Skanes brutally assassinated Alyson Appling-France in front of her two young children. Today, they were held accountable,” said Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Michael C. O’Malley in a statement. “Clarence Bennett remains a fugitive in this case. I urge the public, if you have any information regarding the whereabouts of Clarence Bennett, please call the U.S. Marshals at 1.866.4.WANTED.”
Investigators say that on January 10, Bennett followed Appling-France to a Target store in Cleveland. "He watched Alyson Appling-France exit her driver’s vehicle with her two daughters, ages 6 and 10, and enter Target. He then waited until she exited the store and re-entered the vehicle. He informed Jamar Skanes and Alontez Beasley she was heading back to her apartment with her two daughters," the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor's Office noted.
Authorities claim Skanes and Beasley waited outside the victim's apartment complex near Detroit Avenue and Berea Road before ambushing her as she unloaded groceries. According to officials, one of the suspects shot Appling-France 17 times before both fled the scene, all while Appling-France's daughters watched from inside her car. Another unknown individual then drove the victim to a nearby hospital, where she was pronounced dead. The Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner has since confirmed she suffered injuries to her skull, neck, body, and spine, among other things.
Skanes and Beasley were arrested on January 26 by the Cleveland Division of Police.
A search of county court records by 3News showed Skanes previously pleaded guilty to separate changes of theft and breaking and entering in the 1990s, however the most interesting note stems from late 2022, when he was initially charged with murder for the shooting death of Cleveland's Tyrone Powell Jr. That case was subsequently dismissed three months later, with prosecutors reserving the right to indict Skanes again if more evidence was uncovered.
Meanwhile, Beasley is currently on probation in relation to drug trafficking convictions in 2022, meaning he is not legally allowed to have a gun. He also served 180 days behind bars for drug possession a decade ago.