Second man held in slaying

August 29, 1997

By JULIE E. GREENE

Staff Writer

A second suspect in the March 23 shooting death of a New Jersey man in Hagerstown was arrested Wednesday night in West Virginia, according to Hagerstown City Police.

Scott Eugene Beamer, 33, as well as Bobby Lavaughn Johnson, were each charged with a count of felony murder by a Washington County grand jury last Friday in the shooting death of Michael Eric Mackason Jr., said Sgt. Rick Johnson.

Mackason, 20, of Long Branch, N.J., was found lying face down on West North Avenue in what police think was a botched drug robbery, according to police.

Beamer was arrested by West Virginia State Police at Broad Lane in Falling Waters, W.Va., around 8 p.m. Wednesday, Sgt. Johnson said. Beamer has a previous address of 251 W. North St. in Waynesboro, Pa., he said.

Police discovered Beamer was allegedly in the car when the shooting took place, Sgt. Johnson said.

According to police, Beamer and Bobby Johnson also were each charged with second-degree murder, manslaughter, general robbery, robbery with a deadly weapon, wearing or transporting a handgun in a motor vehicle, first-degree assault, second-degree assault, use of a handgun in a commission of a violent crime, attempted robbery, attempted armed robbery, conspiracy to commit robbery and conspiracy to commit armed robbery.

Beamer also was charged with accessory after the fact of robbery, police said.

Beamer will have the opportunity to waive extradition to Maryland today, police said.

He was being held in the Eastern Regional Jail in Martinsburg, W.Va., without bond, said Sgt. Johnson.

Bobby Johnson, 23, of Auburndale, Fla., continued to be held in the Washington County Detention Center without bond, police said.

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