The Richland fight started with barking dogs and a spatula. Now, a man is dead

A 38-year-old Richland man died over the weekend in a fight over some barking dogs.

Dog owner Earnace Beasley Jr. appeared briefly in court Monday on suspicion of first-degree murder and first-degree burglary. His bail was set at $300,000.

Beasley, 65, and the victim William L. Bepler both lived at the Economy Inn on George Washington Way, said Richland police.

Bepler’s girlfriend told police she was talking with a friend on the balcony of the Richland motel at 8:30 p.m. Saturday and Beasley’s chihuahua-type dogs wouldn’t stop barking.

She said she yelled at the dogs and he yelled at her, according to court documents filed Monday in Benton County Superior Court.

She said Beasley’s door was open while he shouted and that her boyfriend heard the commotion and came out of their room to yell at Beasley, then went back to their room.

His girlfriend, Melissa Miller, kept shouting with Beasley and Bepler returned with a spatula, said court documents.

“Melissa stated that William struck Earnace in the face with the spatula as Earnace stuck his head (out of) his doorway to yell at Melissa,” then returned to their room, said the documents.

His girlfriend told police Beasley went to his closet and took a pocket knife from a jacket and pushed his way into Bepler’s room.

She said Beasley forced her boyfriend onto the bed, climbed on top of him and hit him several times and she couldn’t pull Beasley away, said court documents. Beasley then went back to his own room.

Bepler was covered in blood and he told her to call police as he headed downstairs to another room.

Police arrived about 9 p.m. and found Bepler bleeding from several stab wounds to his face.

He was taken to Kadlec Regional Medical Center for emergency surgery but died a short time later.

Beasley later told investigators he fought Bepler after being hit or punched. His shirt was ripped and he was missing a shoe.

He “did not have any noticeable cuts on his body and stated he did not believe he had been injured” during the fight, said court documents.

He said he had been yelling with Miller about his dogs when Bepler hit him and that “pissed” him off.

He told police that at some time during the fight with Bepler, they fell to the ground and that Bepler gave up.

Beasley said he did not have a knife or any weapon. He also said he “blacked out.”

Benton County Coroner Bill Leach said an autopsy on Bepler is planned Tuesday morning at the Snohomish County Medical Examiner’s Office.

Some coroners in Eastern Washington have been driving bodies across the state for examination because forensic pathologists are not traveling right now because of the coronavirus pandemic.

This story was originally published May 11, 2020 at 6:46 PM.