TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — We have fresh news on an old case—the death of a man who disappeared more than 50 years ago. Now his stepdaughter has appeared in court to be formally charged with his murder.
Carol Beall was in court by video link from what appeared to be a hospital bed. She’s 79 years old and in jail unless she can post a half million dollars bond.
She is charged in the death of her stepfather William Sipfle. He disappeared in 1975.
The Pima County Sheriff’s Department says the family looked for him but never filed a missing person report. Investigators say the family got false information about where he might be.
Recently deputies searched property that belonged to Sipfle and later transferred to Beall.
Shortly after Sipfle disappeared in 1975, deputies were called to a dump after body parts were discovered there but they were not connected to him until modern DNA techniques matched the remains to other members of his family.
That led to Carol Beall’s arrest a few days ago.
The court hearing was a simple formality. Judge Clayton Kamm made sure she understands the charges against her and her obligation to appear for future hearings.
He asked: “Do you understand the risks of not coming to court as well as your rights?”
“Yes,” Beall replied. 2:25:32
We found court documents that show Sipfle’s family did not go to court to declare him dead until late 2005, 30 years after he disappeared. The documents say he had done missionary work in Mexico and it was assumed he died there.
Court documents say with real estate and other assets his estate was worth about 268 thousand dollars.
Sipfle’s last will and testament gave forty percent to his son, thirty percent to a church, ten percent to his brother, ten percent to his sister and ten percent to his stepdaughter Carol Beall.
Since Beall was the only relative living in Arizona the court appointed her to represent the estate.
Beall’s attorney entered her not guilty plea. That plea is standard at such an early stage of the case. She has another hearing in about a month.
