Julia Dardar.
On Friday, authorities in Louisiana charged a man with the murder and dismemberment of a missing 36-year-old mother, whose remains were found in a freezer last week.
Julie was beaten and strangled to death before being dismembered with a power saw.
Online records confirm that Beale is charged with second-degree murder. If convicted, Beale — who,WGNO reports, is better known within the New Orleans abstract art community as Kelley Kirkpatrick — could be sentenced to life in prison.
According to police, a woman’s body was found stuffed in a freezer that was inside a bus at Beale’s home in New Orleans.
Benjamin Beale.Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office
The body was found after New Orleans Police executed a search warrant at Beale’s Ninth Ward neighborhood home. Julie was reported missing two weeks earlier, and it was known to family and friends that she was staying with Beale, who has two teenaged daughters.
Micah Dardar, her estranged husband, said to WGNO that police allegedly told him Beale claimed to have not seen Julie since Dec. 12.
Micah told the station the mother of his daughters “is suffering from addiction and mental health issues and needs help.”
In addition to murder, Beale is charged with obstruction of justice in a death investigation, illegally carrying a weapon while in possession of a controlled dangerous substance, creating or operating a clandestine drug lab, possession with intent to distribute marijuana, and distribution of methamphetamine.
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Beale has not entered pleas to these charges. His lawyers could not be reached for comment.
Julie’s ex and daughters are set to speak at a press conference today.
They have organizeda GoFundMe campaignto help cover her funeral costs.
According to WGNO, Beale and his alleged victim were members of the “Burner” community, comprised of individuals who make the annual trek to Nevada for the Burning Man Festival.
source: people.com
