Pretrial conferences are scheduled this week in Westmoreland County Court for the three people charged in the December 2023 shooting death of a New Florence woman. One of the suspects is the victim’s daughter.
50-year-old Melissa Fox-Beacom, 19-year-old Matthew Bates, and 19-year-old Robert Jack are all charged with criminal homicide, first degree murder, abuse of a corpse, and related conspiracy offenses in the shooting death of 71-year-old Alice Robson , whose body was found buried underneath the porch of her home along Furnace Road outside of New Florence. Police allege the killing was over a custody dispute involving Robson’s grandson, who requires 24-hour care, and that Fox-Beacom asked Bates and Jack to kill Robson. Bates was the boyfriend of Fox-Beacom’s daughter.
A trial date has not been decided. The conference with Judge Meagan Bilik-Defazio is scheduled for this Thursday.













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