A mother found dead alongside her six-year-old twins was laid to rest alone, after a court awarded custody of her children's remains to her abusive ex-husband. The tragic case has highlighted profound concerns about family court procedures and victim protection.
A Tragic Discovery in Arkansas
Charity Beallis, 40, and her twin daughter and son were discovered fatally shot at their home in Bonanza, Arkansas, on December 3rd. The grim discovery was made during a welfare check. The deaths occurred just one day after a divorce hearing where Charity had been fighting for full custody of the children.
The scene was made even more harrowing by the subsequent discovery that some of the family's personal belongings had been discarded in a dumpster. Items recovered three days later included framed photographs, children's artwork, and a gold necklace engraved with the names of the twins.
A History of Abuse and a Bitter Custody Fight
Charity had been embroiled in a tumultuous and frightening divorce from Dr Randall Beallis. He had previously been arrested for domestic violence after choking her, and later pleaded guilty to third-degree battery. A court had ordered him to have no contact with Charity or her family unless specifically authorised.
In the lead-up to her death, Charity expressed deep fear and a sense of abandonment by the systems meant to protect her. She told her eldest son, John Powell, 24, that she was "terrified" and would need all the help she could get. In a comment on a local news story, she wrote that she was being "shut out" by everyone she turned to, including a local prosecutor, while the "criminal - a local doctor - is being shielded."
A Final Insult: Separation in Death
In a devastating postscript to the tragedy, the bodies of Charity and her twins were separated. The day before they were killed, Randall Beallis had been awarded joint custody of the children. Following their deaths, he was given control of their remains. He subsequently sold this custody, leaving the location and manner of the twins' burial unknown to Charity's family.
Charity's body was released to her son, John Powell, who buried his mother on December 29th. He described the situation as "sickening" and "heartbreaking," stating his wish to have them all together had been cruelly denied. "I don’t even know if the kids have been buried, or cremated, or where they may be," he told the Daily Mail.
Randall Beallis's attorney, Michael D. Pierce, has stated his client was "heartbroken" over the deaths and maintains his innocence. He confirmed Randall has cooperated with the Sebastian County Sheriff’s Office investigation, which remains ongoing. Police have not formally named Randall Beallis as a suspect in the triple homicide.
