It was unusual that Alice Robson wasn’t there when two home health nurses arrived at the St. Clair Township woman’s home to take care of her disabled grandson.
It was even more unusual that J.D. Beacom was left alone, but that’s what Jennifer Fox said she encountered when arriving at Robson’s home on Dec. 11, 2023, to start her overnight shift.
The following morning when Tina Hudson relieved Fox, the two women grew worried about Robson. Their supervisor at the home health agency, Meribeth Brown, testified that she notified police on Dec. 13, 2023, that Robson, 71, was missing.
“Alice never disappeared,” Fox testified.
The trio of nurses told jurors on Tuesday about their roles at the Furnace Lane home caring for J.D., who cannot verbally communicate and needs around-the-clock care, and their regular interaction with Robson. It was the second day of testimony in the homicide trial against two of three people accused in Robson’s death — her daughter, Melissa Fox-Beacom, 51, of New Florence, and Matthew Jason Bates, 20, of Ligonier Township. Bates was dating Fox-Beacom’s daughter at the time.
Both defendants are charged with homicide, conspiracy, solicitation and abuse of a corpse.
Prosecutors contend a third suspect — Robert Jack, 20, formerly of Fairfield — fatally shot Robson twice in the head on Dec. 11, 2023, at the request of Fox-Beacom, who had animosity toward her mother. Authorities say Bates provided the .22-caliber handgun used in the crime.
Jack is expected to testify for the prosecution. His case is still pending. It’s unclear if he has an agreement with prosecutors in exchange for his testimony.
Robson’s body was found Dec. 14, 2023, by the Greensburg Bloodhound Team. It was stuffed in a crawl space underneath the porch at her home.
Westmoreland County Detective Jenna Derco testified that Fox-Beacom said she met with Bates and Jack at the Furnace Lane home and later saw her mother dead.
“She said that she kissed her son J.D.” and left, adding that J.D. was present for the shooting but couldn’t communicate who fired the shots, Derco testified. “She leaves her son with Alice dead there.”
Fox-Beacom told Derco that she knew where her mother’s body was located, but didn’t report it to police because she was trying to protect someone, according to testimony.
The three nurses testified about odd interactions they had with Bates after Robson had disappeared.
Bates was pacing around the house, where he stayed sometimes, and pointed out to the women that he was wearing sneakers, rather than his normal work boots, they testified. His hands were shaking and appeared to be cut.
At one point, he suggested waiting 48 hours before reporting Robson missing, Brown said.
“He was just very anxious,” Hudson said.
Testimony is expected to resume Wednesday morning before Judge Meagan Bilik-DeFazio.
