The recording allegedly shows Craig Beeth backing away before Robert Worthington fired.
PINELLAS PARK, Fla. — Surveillance footage from a Pinellas Park auto shop captured the fatal end of an early morning confrontation in which Robert Worthington allegedly pointed a handgun at Craig Beeth and shot him in the head, investigators said in court records.
The recording forms a central piece of the first-degree murder case against Worthington, 44, a Clearwater man arrested one day after the June 5 shooting. Investigators say the footage shows Beeth, 50, attempting to retreat and disengage before falling to the floor as smoke left the gun’s muzzle. Other evidence includes a .45-caliber casing, messages Worthington sent before the shooting and an account from a friend inside the business.
The video begins its most important sequence as Worthington and Beeth leave an office area, according to a description in the complaint affidavit. Worthington is holding a gun and pointing it toward Beeth. Beeth backs away and makes what detectives described as defensive gestures. The men continue into the repair area, where the encounter becomes physical. Worthington then extends his right arm while the firearm remains in his hand. Investigators said the barrel is directed toward Beeth’s head. Smoke appears at the muzzle, and Beeth falls at the same time. The released account does not say whether the camera recorded audio, how many cameras covered the shop or whether any portion of the confrontation occurred outside their view. Authorities also have not released the footage to the public.
Physical evidence at the scene supported parts of what detectives said they saw on the recording. Deputies found Beeth on the shop floor with a large amount of blood around his head, according to the affidavit. A single spent .45-caliber casing lay nearby. The sheriff’s office said Beeth died from one gunshot wound to the head. Investigators did not report finding a second casing or describe any gun associated with Beeth. They also documented a mirrored tray, two shortened straws, a razor blade and a white powder inside the business. The records do not identify the substance, connect it to either man or state whether it was tested. Detectives have not said whether fingerprints, biological material or gunshot residue were collected from those objects.
Deputies reached the business at 6612 69th Avenue North at about 4:44 a.m. after a report that a gunshot had been heard. A caller also indicated that another person remained inside, according to a local account of the affidavit. Believing immediate entry was necessary, deputies forced their way into the building. Beeth was already on the floor and could not be saved. Worthington was gone. The scene then shifted from an emergency response to a homicide investigation led by detectives from the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office Robbery and Homicide Unit. Investigators secured the building, reviewed the recording and began reconstructing who had been present during the hours before the shot.
One witness was a friend of Worthington who said he had been asleep in the office area. The friend reported waking after hearing the gunshot and finding Beeth in the work area. His statements helped detectives establish the circumstances that brought Worthington to the shop. Hours earlier, Worthington had sent the friend a series of messages describing a serious personal crisis. He wrote that he was going crazy and had returned to retrieve his gun, the affidavit said. He later described himself as homicidal and suicidal and said he should not be around people. The friend kept communicating with him and eventually asked him to come to the shop so he could try to calm him.
Worthington’s messages may provide prosecutors with evidence about his state of mind before the encounter, although they do not explain why Beeth became involved. Worthington wrote that he had no job and no insurance and could not see a doctor, according to the complaint. He said life was ruined, that he no longer recognized himself and that the walls were closing in. When first asked to meet, he declined and said he could not be in public. Within about 20 minutes, the friend contacted him again and directed him to the shop. The records do not say whether Worthington told the friend he still had the gun or whether the friend warned anyone else at the business about the messages.
What happened after Worthington entered the building remains only partly described. The sheriff’s office said Worthington was distraught about personal problems and got into an argument with Beeth. The released affidavit does not provide the argument’s subject, quote either man or identify who else heard it. It refers to a physical confrontation, but the detailed public summary begins near the point when Beeth was already retreating. That gap could become important as prosecutors and the defense examine the complete recording. Investigators have not said how much time passed between Worthington’s arrival and the shooting or whether the men had prior disputes.
Detectives identified Worthington as the gunman and arrested him June 6. Jail records show he was booked at 4:34 p.m. and held on a first-degree murder allegation without a listed bond. The booking entry identifies the offense as first-degree murder and uses the additional description of capital murder. Worthington is presumed innocent unless proved guilty. The public records reviewed for the case do not show a plea, a trial date or a detailed charging document from prosecutors. The sheriff’s office announcement said only that the investigation was continuing.
The decision to pursue first-degree murder makes the evidence about intent especially significant. Prosecutors could use the act of retrieving a gun, Worthington’s written statements, the way the weapon was pointed and the movements visible on the recording to support their theory. Defense lawyers could seek the complete video, all messages, witness interviews, laboratory findings and evidence concerning Worthington’s mental condition. The public summary does not establish whether detectives believe the killing was planned before Worthington reached the shop or whether they contend he formed the required intent during the confrontation.
Worthington’s references to being suicidal and homicidal also raise questions that the current record does not answer. Investigators described him as distressed but have not released a medical evaluation or said he had been diagnosed with a psychiatric condition. A person’s crisis statements can become evidence in a criminal case, but their legal meaning depends on the full circumstances and expert findings. The affidavit records Worthington’s own words rather than a clinician’s conclusions. No court has publicly ruled on his competency, mental state or ability to understand the proceedings.
Beeth’s conduct, as described by detectives, is more visible in the final video sequence than his place in the earlier events. Authorities said he attempted to retreat, used defensive movements and tried to disengage. He was a St. Petersburg resident who had turned 50 in March. Officials have not said whether he worked at the shop, owned any part of the business or was visiting. They have also not detailed his relationship with Worthington or the friend. His next of kin was notified before the sheriff’s office publicly identified him.
The evidentiary picture may expand as the case moves forward. Firearm examination could connect the casing to the recovered weapon, if investigators found one. Laboratory work could identify the powder and determine whether it had any relevance. Digital extraction could establish the complete message timeline and preserve call records. The full surveillance system may show arrivals, departures and movements not included in the affidavit. Witness interviews could address the conversation that preceded the confrontation and whether any threats were made inside the shop.
For now, the publicly described recording captures the prosecution’s clearest account of the shooting itself: a gun pointed, a man moving backward, an arm extended and one fatal discharge. Worthington remains jailed while detectives and prosecutors continue building the case surrounding those images.
Author note: Last updated July 11, 2026.