On Monday, Dec. 16, just before 4 p.m., police were called to a home on Hopewell Lane in the Hawthorne Park neighborhood of Willingboro for a report of an assault in progress, Burlington County Prosecutor LaChia L. Bradshaw and Willingboro Acting Public Safety Director Captain Ian Bucs said.
Upon arrival, officers found the body of 57-year-old Kim Beacham-Hanson. A preliminary investigation determined she had been bludgeoned to death. An autopsy later confirmed her death was caused by multiple blunt force injuries and ruled a homicide, according to Burlington County Medical Examiner Dr. Ian Hood.
Kim Beacham's social media pages show she is a singer-songwriter, best known for her classic house track "Trouble."
Breanna Beacham, 32, her daughter, who had been temporarily staying at the home, was taken into custody at the scene early Monday evening, Bradshaw said. She was charged with first-degree murder, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, and unlawful possession of a weapon, officials said.
Beacham was lodged in the Burlington County Jail in Mount Holly, where she awaits a detention hearing in Superior Court. The case will be prepared for presentation to a grand jury for possible indictment.
The motive for the attack remains under investigation.
The investigation is being conducted by the Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office and Willingboro Township Police Department. Assistant Prosecutor Robert S. Van Gilst, supervisor of the BCPO Major Crimes Unit, will prosecute the case.
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