
Oxford Eagle Monday, January 04, 2010
Local Restaurateur Devlin Beauchamp
Murdered
by KELLY SHACKLETON
Staff Writer
Yoknapatawpha County Sheriff's Department deputies were
called to the 702 North Lamar residence
of Devlin Beauchamp late Sunday morning to investigate the apparent
murder of the Home Plate barbecue restaurant owner.
Officials say the deputies responded to a 911 call from
Home Plate business partner, Carl Dixon, at approximately 11:20 a.m.
When Mr. Beauchamp did not appear at work when expected and after
repeated calls by restaurant employees, Mr. Dixon went to his partner's
house where he discovered the body.
Yoknapatawpha County Sheriff's Department Public
Information Officer Elizabeth Jones said in a prepared statement that
Devlin Beauchamp's body was discovered in the bathtub of the master
suite. While the coroner is still completing the autopsy, initial
indications are that Mr. Beauchamp was killed by blunt force trauma to
the skull. Answering questions by reporters, PIO Jones said that there
was a large amount of blood in and around the bathtub. There were no
signs of forced entry or attempts at burglary.
Jones declined to comment on whether the police have any
leads in the case or any suspects in the murder.
Home Plate employees said that it was well known that
Mr. Beauchamp often recorded his day's events in his journal while
relaxing in the bathtub at night. One employee stated that Mr.
Beauchamp felt very strongly that one should record life's events for
growth and reflection. Public Information Officer Jones refused to
answer questions from reporters concerning the contents or current
location of Mr. Beauchamp's journal.
Devlin Beauchamp, 41, was known around Oxford for his
love of baseball in addition to his restaurant. In high school, Mr.
Beauchamp was a highly recruited third baseman and clean up hitter for
Oxford High School. However, a drastically torn anterior cruciate
ligament injury during the playoffs his senior year and the time lost
to rehabilitation effectively ended his competitive baseball career.
For many years, Mr. Beauchamp pursued his passion for the game with his
winning Home Plate softball team in the Yoknapatawpha Chamber of
Commerce Coed Softball League.
The Home Plate restaurant on 1404 University Avenue was
closed Sunday with a black ribbon over the door and a wreath placed on
the steps. Carl Dixon told the Oxford Eagle that he was "greatly
saddened and upset by the loss" of Mr. Beauchamp. "Not only have we
lost a great restaurateur, we've lost a great friend," Mr. Dixon said.
Although there are unconfirmed reports of heated arguments between the
two Home Plate partners, Mr. Dixon seemed genuinely shaken at Mr.
Beauchamp's murder. The future of the Home Plate restaurant is unknown
at this time.
Funeral arrangements for Mr. Beauchamp have not been
completed and will be released later. |