DETROIT – A 31-year-old man is facing the possibility of life in jail in connection with the death of a woman who went missing on Mother’s Day 2020.
Jessica Bedford, 24, was reported missing on May 30, 2020. Her body has not yet been found. Her mother has been taking care of Bedford’s daughter ever since.
Background: Detroit mom vanished after 2020 Mother’s Day call, now man faces murder charges
Keyvonte Deshawn Clark was arraigned Thursday, April 17, on charges of first-degree murder, mutilation of a dead body, felon in possession of a firearm and felony firearm.
Prosecutors allege Clark shot Bedford at his home on Detroit’s west side and disposed of her body elsewhere.
During his arraignment, prosecutors pushed for Clark to be denied bond, claiming he was charged with attempted murder at one point, but the charges were dropped after he threatened the witnesses into not testifying.
Magistrate William T. Burton Jr. agreed with the defense and said that dropped charges and the allegations around why the charges were dropped would not factor into the bond decision.
Defense pushed for a reasonable bond and said that the evidence for Clark’s alleged involvement was weak and that the prosecution was using information from unreliable people from 2021. He argued that Clark wasn’t a flight risk because of his ties to the community, citing his family living in Detroit, and his owning a home and business there. Additionally, the defense said Clark knew he was a suspect for years and was being investigated, but he still didn’t flee.
Prosecution argued that it wasn’t his ties to the community that kept him in Detroit, but his hubris and that they have evidence that supports witness statements, regardless of how old they may be.
Burton agreed with the prosecution that witness statements and tips aren’t invalid because of how old they are.
“Typically, murder cases take years to investigate, as you well know. This is not CSI or television crime dramas where things are solved in a half-hour,” Burton said. “It’s not uncommon for homicide cases to take years.”
Due to the circumstances of the case, Burton denied Clark bond and remanded him back to jail.
He’s scheduled to return to court for a probable cause hearing on April 24 and a preliminary exam on April 29.
