Jury finds woman and accomplice guilty of murder in 2023 death of Alice Robson

A jury convicted two people of the killing of 71-year-old Alice Robson in 2023 after a week-long trial, Westmoreland County prosecutors announced on Friday.

Melissa Fox-Beacom, 51, and Matthew Bates, 20, were found guilty on all counts, including first-degree murder, criminal solicitation, criminal conspiracy, and abuse of a corpse, Westmoreland County District Attorney Nicole Ziccarelli said in a media release.

The jury reached its verdict after about two hours of deliberations.

Prosecutors said Fox-Beacom and Bates conspired with a third defendant, Robert Jack, to kill Robson, who was Fox-Beacom's mother. Jack is awaiting further court proceedings.

According to testimony, Robson was shot twice in the head on Dec. 11, 2023, while sitting in the living room of her home. Her body was discovered three days later hidden in a crawlspace beneath the porch.

Prosecutors said Bates supplied the firearm used in the killing to Jack at the direction of Fox-Beacom and Bates. The weapon was later recovered from Donegal Lake.

"Assistant District Attorneys Adam Barr and Steve Reddy prosecuted this case with the highest degree of professionalism and secured justice for Alice Robson's family. We are so grateful for the jury's time and consideration in delivering a swift resolution after four days of testimony," Ziccarelli said in a statement.

Fox-Beacom and Bates are scheduled to be sentenced within the next 90 days.