Cold Case Files: “I SURVIVED A SERIAL KILLER: Craigslist Killer”

Podcast by A&E / PodcastOne
Episode Air Date: March 21, 2026
Narrated by Marisa Pinson

Episode Overview

This gripping episode centers on the terrifying story of Scott Davis, a survivor of the so-called “Craigslist Killer,” Richard Beasley. Through firsthand recounting and commentary from detectives and prosecutors, the episode unravels the web of a serial killer who lured desperate job seekers to rural Ohio with fake Craigslist job postings before robbing and murdering them. Davis’s harrowing escape led to the uncovering of multiple murders, ultimately bringing Beasley to justice.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Lure: Fake Craigslist Advertisement

• Job Offer: Victims found an ad offering a caretaker job on a large, secluded Ohio farm – 688 acres, $300 per week, free rent and utilities.
• Scott Davis responded to this ad, seeking an opportunity to help his ailing mother by relocating and working a new job ([02:11]).
• Meeting “Jack”: Davis meets the man behind the ad, later identified as Richard Beasley, and Beasley’s “nephew” (actually Brogan Rafferty) at a Shoney’s restaurant before heading out ([02:57], [03:02]).
  • Quote (Scott Davis):
    “He gave me longitudes, latitudes, north, east, west... Everything was paid. And I'm like, it doesn't sound bad.” ([02:22])

Building Suspicion & The Attack

• Travel to the Farm: Davis notices odd details – road getting narrower, cell service vanishing as they near the property ([04:48]-[05:03]).
• Lured into Woods: Once isolated, “Jack” draws a gun and shoots Davis, who flees despite severe injuries ([06:17], [06:33]).
  • Memorable Quote (Scott Davis):
    “I said, what the is wrong with you? … I just ran for everything I had. I would get up and I would fall. He just keeps firing rapidly at me, pop, pop.” ([06:33])
• Desperate Escape: Shot and bleeding, Davis drags himself through the woods for hours, hiding, praying for survival, before reaching a farmhouse ([10:24]-[11:05]).
  • Quote (Scott Davis):
    “I prayed and said, lord, I guess this is it. I'm coming to meet you.” ([07:11])
    “But I knocked on the door. This lady comes to the door. I explained to her what was going on, that I had been shot, and if she could call the police, and I was gonna need an ambulance.” ([11:05])

Investigative Breakthroughs

• Initial Skepticism: Responding officers doubt Davis’s story, suspecting criminal involvement on his part ([12:33]).
  • Quote (Scott Davis):
    “He said I was involved with a dope dealer… For some reason, the sheriff did not believe my story.” ([12:44])
• Evidence Provided: Davis has all emails and documentation with “Jack.”
• Ground Search: Davis’s information prompts a search, leading to the discovery of the bodies of past victims Ralph Geiger and David Pauley, plus Davis’s own intended grave ([14:33]-[15:05]).
  • Quote (Scott Davis):
    “They told me about my grave and it's not an easy thing. To handle that was a big shock to me.” ([15:05])

Victim Impact & Families

• Ralph Geiger: Lured by the same ad, shares excitement for the opportunity but is never seen again ([05:12]-[05:43]).
• David Pauley: Deb Bruce, his sister, recounts his disappearance and her growing panic, leading her to connect with police after seeing a news article ([10:33]-[13:55]).
  • Quote (Deb Bruce):
    “He said, I love you, sis. And I said, I love you, bro. And that was the last time I spoke to David.” ([10:50])

Unraveling the "Craigslist Killer"

• Timothy Kern: Another victim, also down on his luck, answers the Craigslist ad and is murdered in the same fashion ([15:41]).
• Profile & Motive: Detectives and prosecutors agree that financial motivation was secondary to Beasley’s drive to kill. ([16:06]-[16:15])
  • Quote (Prosecutor):
    “Monetary things or identities. I think that's all secondary to his drive to kill. The motivation to kill was that he wanted to kill.” ([16:06])

Arrest and Trial

• Arrest: FBI cybercrimes unit tracks the ad to Beasley and his accomplice Brogan Rafferty ([16:26]).
• Richard Beasley: Initially calm and evasive. Claims innocence, accuses Davis of being the real attacker ([17:23]-[20:36]).
  • Beasley’s Defense (Scott Davis’s Reaction)
    “You're a liar. I did not do that. He said that I was out to get him due to some motorcycle gang. I shot him instead of him shooting me, which is the farthest thing from the truth it could ever be.” ([20:36])

Justice and Aftermath

• Trial: Davis’s compelling testimony is central to securing conviction ([20:55]-[21:17]).
  • Quote (Prosecutor):
    “His details, his forthrightness helped from beginning to end.” ([21:17])
• Verdict: Beasley found guilty of multiple murders and sentenced to death ([21:26]-[22:32]).
• Confronting Beasley: Davis addresses Beasley directly at sentencing:
  • Quote (Scott Davis):
    “Beasley on November 6, 2011, he shot at me several times like I was a rabid dog. I laid in the woods for seven hours not knowing if I was going to live or die. You're a worthless monster. You can't lie your way out of this. You tried to rob me from one of the most important persons in my life, my mother. Shame on you.” ([21:53], [22:12])
• Resolution: Davis expresses relief and a commitment to resilience and healing:
  • Quote:
    “I'll never give up. I will crawl on my hands and knees to do whatever I gotta do in life. There's just no doubt about it. He took something from me. And every day I try to get it back. I don't stop.” ([22:58])

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Survivor’s Grit:
  “I yelled at him. I said, so does this still mean I got the job and started running?” (Scott Davis, [09:02])
• Trauma to Triumph:
  “Look at every day differently because you can be gone in a second.” (Scott Davis, [15:05])
• Reflection on Evil:
  “He's a damn devil itself.” (Scott Davis, [01:06], [21:05])
• Impact in Court:
  “He has no remorse for anything he'd done. He's still just as cocky as ever. Always snickering like it was nothing.” (Scott Davis, [21:05])
• Community Reaction:
  “I could see multiple people in the room crying. Quite an emotional thing for everybody to hear.” (Detective Mackey, [22:20])

Important Timestamps

| Timestamp | Segment/Quote | |-----------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 02:11 | Scott Davis introduces himself and describes how he came across the Craigslist ad | | 06:33 | Davis describes the moments of the attack in vivid, terrifying detail | | 09:02 | Davis’s desperate escape and dark humor under fire | | 10:33 | David Pauley’s sister describes her brother finding the ad and his disappearance | | 13:55 | Deb Bruce contacts police after news coverage connects the ad to a shooting | | 14:33 | Investigators discover the bodies and Davis’s intended grave | | 15:41 | Third victim, Timothy Kern, is introduced | | 16:26 | FBI cybercrimes expertise leads to arrest of Beasley and accomplice | | 21:17 | Prosecutor describes Davis’s impact and fortitude at trial | | 22:12 | Davis confronts Beasley in court, moving the room to tears | | 22:32 | Verdict and death sentence for Richard Beasley announced | | 22:58 | Davis’s closing words on survival and resilience |

Episode Tone & Style

The episode is raw, personal, and steadfastly focused on survivors’ voices. Scott Davis’s direct, often darkly humorous reflections ground the story. Law enforcement and prosecutors speak with clarity and respect for both the investigative breakthrough and the extraordinary resilience shown by Davis and the victims’ families. The narrative carries a determined, at times emotional, urgency, culminating in relief and a sense of justice served.

Summary for New Listeners

If you haven’t listened, this episode offers a chilling but ultimately life-affirming account of how an ordinary person endured unimaginable horror, helped bring a serial killer to justice, and saved countless lives. The partnership between survivors, their loved ones, and persistent investigators is foregrounded, highlighting both the fragility and the resilience of those targeted by evil—and how their courage led to one rare cold case solved.