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Washington Man Found Guilty of Murdering Woman Who Had Info on Him in a Burglary and Arson Case
Ginger Gover's body was found less than two months after her father reported her missing in 2018.
A Washington man has been convicted of gunning down a woman to prevent her from testifying against him in a burglary and arson case.
A Pierce County jury found Michael Beauchamp, 59, guilty Wednesday of murdering Ginger Gover, 41, back in 2018.
Beauchamp was convicted of aggravated murder in the first degree, murder in the second degree, assault in the first degree, and malicious mischief in the second degree, according to Law & Crime, citing authorities.
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"Guilty on everything, guilty on everything, one right after the other," Ingrid Phillips, Gover’s mother, told NBC Seattle affiliate KING 5. "We were squeezing each other's hands, couldn't believe it, that it is actually over."
Gover’s father, Wayne Phillips, reported his daughter missing on July 31, 2018, according to court documents obtained by the local station. He told investigators that he had last heard from her a few days before. She was on her way to a friend’s house when she needed to stop and fix a flat tire.
Her father told authorities that Gover had information on a previous crime that occurred in Thurston County. He told KING 5 that his daughter used to “run with a bad crowd” and may have been a “target.”
Gover knew Beauchamp and was an accomplice to a burglary and arson case in which Beauchamp was later convicted, according to court documents.
The woman's car was found abandoned at a warehouse in Puyallup in Pierce County, Washington on August 6, 2018, according to KOMO News.
On September 13, 2018, a construction crew found Gover’s body near Puyallup as they were clearing a wooded area for a new road, according to KING 5. An autopsy determined she died of a gunshot wound.
According to witness statements cited by KING 5, Beauchamp had said Gover “rolled on him” and he had to “make her disappear.”
At the time of Gover's death, Det. Ed Troyer with the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office said, "We believe she ran into foul play. What led up to her death is still under investigation. We are trying to backtrack her whereabouts like we have been when we found her car stripped out and abandoned," according to KOMO News.
Ingrid wishes that Gover’s father was there to witness the conviction of her killer.
"He passed away in December 2021,” she told KING 5. "He died before he could get justice. It is heavy on my mind."
Investigators executed a search warrant at Beauchamp’s home on October 8, 2018, which revealed blood splatter throughout his bedroom, detached garage and in a truck, according to court documents. He was charged with Gover’s murder on June 18, 2020.
Beauchamp is scheduled to be sentenced on August 18, King 5 reported. He faces life in prison.
