CLEVELAND — A Cuyahoga County grand jury has indicted a third man in the case of the brutal killing of a Cleveland woman earlier this year. While law enforcement searches for Clarence Bennett, two already-indicted suspects are facing additional charges.
According to a release from Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Michael O'Malley, the grand jury returned an indictment charging the 43-year-old Bennett with the following charges for the shooting of Alyson Appling-France in front of her two children in January:
- 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
Amid the indictment, O’Malley and the U.S. Marshals Service’s Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force are asking for the public’s help in locating Bennett. If you have any information, please contact the NOVFTF at 1-866-4WANTED.
In addition, Jamar Skanes and Alontez Beasley, who were already indicted for Appling-France's murder in February, were each charged with one count of conspiracy to commit murder by the latest grand jury.
The pair were arraigned on Monday for the new charge. They both pleaded not guilty and were given a $1 million bond. A pretrial hearing is set for July 2.
“These three individuals conspired to brutally murder Alyson Appling-France in front of her 10-year-old and 6-year-old daughters. Their actions were unfathomable, and it is my firm belief that they are a danger to the public,” said O’Malley in a statement. “Jamar Skanes and Alontez Beasley are in custody. We need the public’s help to find Clarence Bennett. If you have any information regarding his whereabouts, please contact 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 in its release.
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.
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