In the late hours of October 16, 2001, a tragedy unfolded on the streets of Pennsylvania.
Corporal Michael Douglas Beverly, an 11-year veteran of Chester Police Department, was brutally murdered while standing by his unmarked police vehicle.
The responding officers discovered Beverly lying on his back, his body convulsing in the throes of death. His car keys were still in his hand, and his service weapon remained untouched in its holster. His face and chest bore the gruesome evidence of multiple gunshot wounds. Despite the desperate attempts of his colleagues to revive him, the 36-year-old officer succumbed to his injuries, leaving behind a grieving wife and five children.
According to Fox News, Lieutenant Chris McMullin of the Bucks County Sheriffs Office, a Philadelphia native, described Beverly as a dedicated officer, family man, and community servant. "This was a good person," McMullin stated. "He was dedicated to his job, but he was also a dedicated family man. And he was just as dedicated to the community."
The brutal murder, which occurred in the crime-infested Chester Gardens area, is the subject of an episode on Oxygen's true-crime series, "Philly Homicide." The series features interviews with former and current Philadelphia-area detectives, as well as those closely connected to the cases that took place in the city known as Americas birthplace.
McMullin, who hosts the series, has a rich history in law enforcement, having served as a Philadelphia Police Department patrol officer before becoming a detective with the Bensalem Police Department. He recounted the relentless pursuit of justice by his fellow officers in the aftermath of Beverly's murder. "That was one of the reasons why I wanted to tell this story, as well as the others we explored in the series," McMullin explained. "I wanted to show how hard these detectives work for justice, to bring justice in the name of victims and their families. These detectives want to protect our society. And in this case, they vowed to find out who killed Corporal Beverly."
The investigation led detectives to the Boyle Street Boys, a notorious street gang known for their "extremely violent tactics" and control over their younger members and street-level drug dealers. The gang was fiercely protective of their territory, which was a hub for cocaine sales and distribution. The senior members would often discuss whether individuals perceived as threats needed to be eliminated. "They backed up their threats with violence," McMullin noted. "I hate to pay them a compliment, and I dont mean it that way, but they were the real deal. They were not just a lot of talk. They would carry through with threats."
Despite the mounting evidence against the gang, investigators faced a "wall of silence" from the community. "Chesters a rough city," McMullin said. "Ive had cases where people didnt want to speak to me, because they were afraid of retaliation. You cant blame them for that. Its difficult. You have to work to gain the trust of the public. And to keep it, you have to keep your word. You cant blame anyone who is afraid to talk. And in this case, it was a gang terrorizing an entire city."
The murder of Beverly was a personal blow to the police force. Beverly had never fully recovered from the 1993 shooting death of his patrol partner, Connie Hawkins. He was active with the Delaware County Law Enforcement Memorial Foundation, a group dedicated to honoring fallen officers in the line of duty, and wore a bracelet in memory of Hawkins. Beverly found comfort in engaging in activities with his children. He was an active participant in the Rose Tree Soccer League and served as an assistant basketball coach.
During the investigation, detectives discovered that Beverly had attempted to mentor a young man named Maurice Day. However, the last call Beverly made before his murder was not to Day, but to Gloria Adams, who lived near the crime scene. Beverly had called Adams about ten minutes before he was shot. A visibly shaken Adams told detectives that Beverly had been a positive influence on her son, Day, who was considering joining the Boyle Street Boys. However, Day claimed that he had been at his girlfriends house at the time of the shooting, a claim corroborated by his girlfriend.
The case went cold until October 2002 when a woman arrested for drug possession claimed she had witnessed Day shooting Beverly. The prosecutor argued that Day had been motivated to kill because he had been "teased, taunted and ridiculed" by members of the Boyle Street Boys. The series suggests that Day was frustrated over Beverlys friendship with his mother, fearing it would ruin his street credibility. "I dont want to comment on that I never spoke to the kid," said McMullin. "It was my interpretation from what I know about this case that it was a peer pressure thing on top of the fact that he didnt want to be labeled as a rat. But I cant say with any certainty why he did what he did."
What is certain, McMullin said, is that police refused to give up on finding Beverlys killer. A gang member later testified that Day admitted to killing Beverly. Days cousin, who was not a gang member, also gave crucial testimony. "He told me he killed the cop he shot him," the witness told the jury. Day, 20, was found guilty of first-degree murder and sentenced to life without parole. Beverlys sister expressed contentment with the sentencing, versus Day receiving the death penalty. "I guess shes content knowing that he can sit there for the rest of his life and think about what he did," said McMullin. "Sometimes people think thats worse than death."
Today, McMullin hopes that Beverlys legacy will be remembered, as well as those who never gave up on finding his killer. "Justice doesnt always come easy," McMullin reflected. "Solving a case takes a lot of dedication and determination. I want people to see that detectives all over the country, but specifically in the Philadelphia region, are dedicated and want to protect society. Im trying to show that at times there have been some bad cops, yes, but there are a lot more good ones."
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