WESTMORELAND COUNTY, Pa. — A Pennsylvania woman accused of arranging her mother’s killing during a dispute over custody of her special-needs son is standing trial alongside a younger co-defendant prosecutors say helped carry out the plan.
Melissa Fox-Beacom, 51, and Matthew Jason Bates, 20, face homicide-related charges in the December 2023 death of Alice Robson, 71. Prosecutors say Robson had become the primary caregiver for her grandson, fueling tensions that investigators believe escalated into a murder plot.
Authorities allege Fox-Beacom recruited an 18-year-old acquaintance to shoot Robson at her St. Clair Township home. Court testimony described how the man allegedly entered the house and fired multiple shots, killing Robson before concealing her body beneath a back porch crawl space.
Investigators say the case began unfolding when a school employee contacted authorities after the woman’s special-needs child was found alone in the residence days later. Officers responding to the property initially noticed signs that something was wrong but could not locate Robson.
The following day, detectives returned with search teams and quickly discovered Robson’s body hidden under the porch. Officials said the discovery transformed the welfare check into a homicide investigation that soon focused on Robson’s daughter and several associates.
Prosecutors told jurors that Fox-Beacom had spoken openly about wanting her mother dead, describing long-running arguments over custody and control of her son’s care. Witnesses testified that the defendant expressed deep resentment toward Robson, whom she blamed for keeping the child away from her.
Authorities also alleged that Bates played a role in supplying the gun used in the killing. Investigators later recovered a weapon believed connected to the case after learning it had been discarded in a nearby body of water.
Defense attorneys argued that the admitted shooter bears responsibility for the crime and questioned the reliability of testimony linking their clients to a planned conspiracy.
The trial is expected to continue with testimony from investigators, forensic experts and additional witnesses describing the events surrounding Robson’s death.
Author note: Last updated March 6, 2026.