20/20 Podcast – "What The Little Girl Saw"

ABC News | February 7, 2026

EPISODE OVERVIEW

In this gripping episode of 20/20, ABC News unpacks the shocking murder of Kelly Clayton, a beloved mother of two, in rural upstate New York. Through exclusive interviews, investigation footage, and chilling first-hand accounts, the episode traces the crime’s impact on the community, the pivotal role of a 7-year-old eyewitness, and the subsequent unraveling of a murder-for-hire plot involving Kelly’s husband, Thomas Clayton, and his employee, Michael Beard. The narrative unfolds as the investigation peels back the facade of a seemingly perfect family, revealing betrayal, desperation, and the long pursuit of justice for Kelly and her children.

KEY DISCUSSION POINTS & INSIGHTS

1. The Crime Scene and Initial Shock

• Timeline:
  • The murder takes place the night of September 28, 2015.
  • Thomas Clayton calls 911 in panic, claiming to have found his wife dead after returning from a poker game ([01:15]).
• First Responders' Reactions:
  • Deputy Sheriff Dean Swan recalls the brutal scene, describing extensive blood and evidence of a violent struggle ([04:30]).
  • The victim’s face is described as “completely beaten in.”

  “Her face is completely beaten in. She definitely fought for her life and her children's life.” – Investigator ([03:11])

• Family Arrives:
  • Kelly’s sister and mother confront the news, with a particularly emotional moment as they pray over Kelly’s body before it is taken away ([13:00]).

2. Community & Family Background

• The setting is a close-knit, rural New York town, where the local hockey team, the Jackals, and nearby lakes are anchors of community activity ([02:15]).
• The Claytons:
  • Tom Clayton – Former hockey player, known for being charismatic and aggressive both on and off the ice.
  • Kelly Clayton – Described as “sassy, spontaneous, and loving,” she adored motherhood and was well-loved by friends and family ([05:30]).

3. Investigation and Early Theories

• Initial Theories:
  • Police consider a robbery gone wrong but quickly rule this out due to lack of forced entry or theft ([28:40]).
• Suspicion Shifts to Tom Clayton:
  • Crime appeared more personal, suggested by the violence and the targeting of Kelly’s face.
  • While Tom had an alibi (poker game), his reaction at the scene and his composure are noted as suspicious.

  "He just wasn't acting as a normal person would if they just discovered their wife brutally murdered… Definitely calmer than I would say a normal person would be." – Investigator ([40:30])

4. The Little Girl’s Critical Testimony

• Charlie’s Eyewitness Account:
  • Seven-year-old Charlie, Kelly and Tom’s daughter, is the only eyewitness.
  • She describes the attacker’s “eyes like daddy’s” and says he wore clothes and a mask similar to her father ([50:10]).
  • Police recruit a professional child interviewer to speak with her with care.
  • Charlie recounts, “Mommy was yelling, ‘Run, Charlie, run!’” as her mother tried to shield her children ([54:00]).
  • This testimony pivots the investigation toward Tom, despite his alibi.

5. Breaking the Alibi—Phone Evidence and Michael Beard

• Michael Beard Connection:

  • Michael Beard, Thomas’s former employee and tenant, emerges as a key figure.
  • Initially, Beard denies involvement, claiming he was home all night ([01:16:00]).
  • Phone record analysis and the discovery that Tom borrowed a poker guest's (Lucky Miller's) phone to call Beard are turning points ([01:26:00]).

  “You have a justified reason to call Michael. Why are you deleting the calls? And why not just use your own cell phone?” – Investigator ([01:30:10])

• Beard’s Confession:

  • After intense questioning and a failed polygraph, Beard confesses: Thomas asked him to “kill Kelly, then light the house on fire” for $10,000 ([01:35:55]).
  • Beard directs police to the murder weapon (a maul handle) and the bloody clothes he wore ([01:44:00]).
  • He later recants, blaming coercion and suggesting he merely stumbled upon the scene ([01:56:00]).

6. Motive and Plot

• Financial Motive:
  • Investigators discover Thomas Clayton recently doubled both his and Kelly’s life insurance policies—$2 million for himself, $1 million for Kelly ([01:53:00]).
  • Divorce seen as too costly; murder becomes the sinister alternative.
• Planning and Execution:
  • Phone geolocation data confirms extensive clandestine communication between Clayton and Beard, including on the day of the murder ([02:10:00]).

  "Phones really provided a timeline of interaction, of planning." – Investigator ([02:11:45])

7. Trial, Verdict, and Aftermath

• Complications at Trial:
  • Beard’s recantation prevents him from testifying for the prosecution; the case relies heavily on circumstantial evidence ([02:24:00]).
  • Testimony about multiple affairs, gambling, and behavioral patterns reinforce Clayton’s motive.
• Verdict:
  • Both Thomas Clayton and Michael Beard are found guilty and sentenced to life without parole ([02:35:50]).
  • At sentencing, Clayton delivers a profanity-laced outburst declaring his innocence ([02:39:00]).
• The Victims' Families:
  • Kelly’s children are raised by her sister.
  • The community rallies, symbolized by the widespread display of purple ribbons ([02:16:00]).
  • A poignant statement is read from Charlie at sentencing:

  "She loved her mom, she loved her dad, but that her dad was a coward because he made Michael Beard kill Mommy." – Letter from Charlie, read in court ([02:40:20])

MEMORABLE MOMENTS & QUOTES

• [03:11] "Her face is completely beaten in. She definitely fought for her life and her children's life."
• [40:30] "He just wasn't acting as a normal person would if they just discovered their wife brutally murdered … Definitely calmer than I would say a normal person would be."
• [50:10-55:00] Charlie’s interview

  “Mommy was yelling, ‘Run, Charlie, run!’ … His eyes look just like daddy’s.”

• [01:35:55] Michael Beard’s confession

  “He wanted me to go to the house, kill Kelly, then light the house on fire. … I needed the money.”

• [02:40:20] Courtroom letter from Charlie

  “…but her dad was a coward because he made Michael Beard kill Mommy.”

IMPORTANT SEGMENTS BY TIMESTAMP

• 00:30–13:00 – The crime, community, and early emotional fallout
• 13:00–28:40 – Crime scene investigation and initial suspicion
• 50:00–01:00:00 – Charlie’s interview, eyewitness account, and interview techniques for children
• 01:16:00–01:44:00 – Investigators close in on Michael Beard; confession and evidence recovery
• 01:56:00–02:15:00 – Beard’s recantation, focus on circumstantial evidence, and forensic investigation
• 02:18:00–02:40:20 – The trial, community support, verdict, and heartbreaking impact on Kelly’s children

EPISODE TAKEAWAYS

• The murder of Kelly Clayton was not an impulsive act but a calculated murder-for-hire, orchestrated by her husband and executed by a financially desperate employee.
• The most damning evidence came not from forensic “smoking guns” but through relentless detective work: mapping communication, interpreting a traumatized child’s account, and doggedly following the money and relationships.
• The episode underscores the tragedy of domestic violence, the vulnerability of children, and the far-reaching ripples through family and community.
• Charlie’s story is the most haunting—her clarity, composure, and heartbreak, immortalized in both her testimony and the letter read in court.
• Both perpetrators, Thomas Clayton and Michael Beard, were ultimately convicted and are serving life sentences.

This episode of 20/20 delivers a masterful blend of procedural detective work and intimate, human storytelling—demonstrating how justice can be served even when the truth is obscured by deception, complexity, and the unimaginable trauma of those left behind.