Local man dies of fatal gunshot, Sheriff’s Department investigating

UPDATE: A suspect has been identified as Brian Douglas Dunann, who is wanted for questioning but is still not located. More info HERE.

A local man died last week of a fatal gunshot in the Upriver area north of Parker, AZ. La Paz County Sheriff William Ponce says the Department is investigating. The matter is currently assigned to the Criminal Investigations Unit.

Johnny Jay Beckham died on Wednesday, June 30th at the age of 33. He was surrounded by family, according to an online post, at Havasu Regional Medical Center, where he was apparently transported. Parker Live does not have more information on the circumstances surrounding his death.

“Due to the sensitive nature of the case we are being very critical about what we release to the public,” Sheriff Ponce said. “We appreciate your patience and understanding regarding this matter and its sensitivity.”

The Beckhams lived in Riverside before moving to Parker in 1993, where they have been since. Johnny leaves behind a son, Bobby, born in 2010.

Johnny’s sister Miranda started a Memorial Fundraiser (link below) for expenses, and wrote:

“Johnny Jay Beckham, or Johnny B, was a light in this often dark world. He was funny, kind, talented, hardworking and selfless. He was a father, a brother, a son and a friend that was taken from us all too soon. Words cannot express the grief that his family is experiencing at this time. If you would like to support them, a simple share or a donation in any amount would be appreciated. All donations will be used for the services where we will say our final goodbyes to our beloved Johnny B. The family thanks each and every person able to contribute by sharing or donating.”

Services are set for Saturday, July 10th at 12 p.m. at Grace Assembly of God in Parker.

Fundraiser link: gofundme.com/f/johnny-beckhams-memorial-fundraiser

36 comments

  1. Sad it takes the Sheriffs office a week to to release any info. I mean I’m pretty sure the residents in his neighborhood would have liked to know there was a gunman in the area.

  2. Luke Marler I agree we live in the neighborhood where he lives down the street actually..

  3. Luke Marler This is your friend right?

  4. Luke Marler right but they can post about job offers while rumors are being spread and no justice being given. A crappy situation all around, such a tragedy

  5. Luke Marler Did you read their post on June 24th?

  6. Krystal Ainsworth the family is devastated, pissed and feel the deputy and detective/sergeant was lying to them and was more worried about a homicide in Bouse.

  7. Alan Nelson

    There are a lot of issues at play here, folks. I hope when they release more details, you’ll understand why they’re keeping information private right now. This is a rough time for the family, so please just wait until the investigation comes out. I don’t know the facts, but have been in that situation (investigating) many times in the past.

  8. Luke Marler my heart goes out to all of them, I can’t even imagine the anger and heartbreak every single one of his family members are feeling. I hope they get real answers sooner rather than later. Truth won’t take the pain away but it can help them begin the process.

  9. Alan Nelson I am family and some honesty from department would co along way with Johnny’s brothers and sisters.
    I do know the investigation has to happen and yes some things are not to be shared until it’s over.

    Thank you. And thank you for your service.

  10. Krystal Ainsworth let’s just hope LPCSO is doing all they can.

  11. Luke Marler read the article.
    It’s an ongoing investigation.
    If they public was in danger then the public would have been notified.

  12. Luke Marler if you read the article the Sheriff stated “the investigation is on going. Also ““Due to the sensitive nature of the case we are being very critical about what we release to the public,”
    Which is more then likely why they’re waiting to do the press release before they share information.

    The detectives and the department are working hard on this case. YOU don’t see the work they do. So just because they haven’t mentioned it doesn’t mean they’re doing nothing.
    Since you stated allegedly you’re family of the victim, you should understand you’re not aware of the endless amount of hours the detectives put in, and thank them instead of coming to a social
    Media platform to bash them

  13. If there’s no threat to the public there’s no need to let the neighborhood know.

  14. Krystal Ainsworth read the article Luke Marler if you read the article the Sheriff stated “the investigation is on going. Also ““Due to the sensitive nature of the case we are being very critical about what we release to the public,”
    Which is more then likely why they’re waiting to do the press release before they share information.

    It’s not uncommon for a department to withhold information to the public until there’s more information.
    You don’t see what the department is doing. Rumors will spread any ways.
    So yes job offers are listed because It’s not an active investigation

    It’s sad so many people like to come to social media to bash our law enforcement when y’all really have no clue

  15. If you haven’t been in the situation then you have no room to say anything. Luke is right. & someone has to say something so thank you Luke for saying all of this & defending what’s right here. No one is asking that ALL information be shared but yes it should have been warned to at least those in the area that there was a shooter. Becky you obviously don’t know the family or have ever been in this situation & I find your comments to be insensitive to the family & friends of Johnny.. again he’s not saying share everything but it should have definitely been mentioned way sooner than right now.

  16. La Paz county sheriffs office has got to be one of the sloppiest law inforcement agency’s I’ve ever seen , using a patsy to take the fall for something the cops on scene should be held responsible for There’s no motive for the guy next-door and it wasn’t self-inflicted because there’s no gun at the scene looks like a stalled out cover-up I would Not be shocked to see a lawsuit coming , #### why don’t you have consideration for the family that could possibly be on here too as well , especially why they’re grieving for a loss of the family ##### ! Have some fucking respect and some integrity #### showing no compassion at all for a family that just lost somebody who shouldn’t even of died Especially that family because they’re bigger than you think

  17. Our DEEPEST CONDOLENCES TO JOHNNY.B.’s SON AND FAMILY THERE ALL IN OUR THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS AT THIS DIFFICULT TIME I JUST PRAY THEY GET THE ANSWERS THEY DESERVE AND GET JUSTICE FOR JOHNNY HE WAS A GOOD GUY HE WOULD GIVE THE SHIRT OFF HIS BACK TO SOMEONE IF THEY NEEDED IT HE WOULD HELP ANYONE WHO NEEDED HELP AND HE LOVED HIS SON BOBBY MORE THEN ANYTHING AND ANYONE IN THIS WORLD BOBBY WAS HIS WHOLE WORLD SO SAD AND HEARTBREAKING HE WAS TAKEN WAY TOO SOON AND HIS SON AND FAMILY AND CLOSE FRIENDS ALL DESERVE ANSWERS AND JUSTICE FOR JOHNNY HE WAS SO FULL OF LIFE … RIP JOHNNYB YOU WILL BE GREATLY MISSED LOVE YOU FOREVER BRO AND FORGET YOU NEVER SAY HI TO JESSE AND YOUR POPS FOR US UNTIL WE ALL MEET AGAIN…
    #JUSTICE4JOHNNYBECKHAM #CONDOLENCES&PRAYERSFORBECKHAM&STARKFAMILY #GoneButNeverForgotten

  18. Dan Mattern I don’t know you and you apparently do not know me. I apologize if my “Like” was taken out of context. What my intention behind my “blue thumb” was, is that I was glad information was being disseminated to the public. The more interaction the post gets from “Like’s”, comments and interaction between people, the more people see the post. This was in no way intended to be a jab or insensitive provocation to the victim or family. Anyone who actually knows me as a person, knows that.

  19. Parker Live

    Dan not sure where the attack on Maya was coming from but it was uncalled for by any standard. Let the process happen and then you can share your opinion respectfully all you like.

  20. Douglas Cindie

    I agree with Luke, I knew Johnny, and he lived just down the street from me. Not knowing who did this horrible murder, or if he was still around or had be caught was not good.

  21. Douglas Cindie

    Becky Morris I assure you Luke being a family member is not alleged, and you are being heartless to a man who suffered a horrific loss. Try compassion. Luke watched Johnny grow up from boy to man, and dearly loved Johnny like a son. So please be gentle with people who suffer this kind of pain. Kindness never hurts, Chiding someone who is grieving never helps

  22. Douglas Cindie

    Becky Morris I agree with Luke.. It happened just down the street from me. I heard the Gun shots. My son,who grew up playing with Johnny went to see what happened, saw the them emts working on him. I did not know if the gun toting murderer was still around or if he had been caught. If it happened near you, dont you think you should be informed if an armed and dangerous man is still around and near you? So ok, withhold sensitive info, but it took over a week till we found out the murdered was gone.

  23. Douglas Cindie

    Alan Nelson I want to thank you too. You are always kind, and sympatric to people dealing with the worse things in life. Your compassion is commendable.

  24. Douglas Cindie

    Becky Morris Yeah, we might not have a clue, you seem to be lacking a heart. No sympathy for people who are grief stricken. Please try putting yourself in the family members shoes. You are not going to succeed in you efforts to logic anyone out of their grief.

  25. Douglas Cindie in no way was I being insensitive, my condolences go out to the family. Trust me I know what they are going through. How am I suppose to know who their family is??
    All I’ve seen is the original commenter bashing the department and trying to find out names of who arrived on scene which to me seems to be a safety issue for that deputy and their family.

    My comment was solely stating that the I’m sure the department is doing their job and taking care of it weather it’s being shared with the public or not.
    They need to trust that the detectives have put endless amounts of hours in. And that they’re doing their job.

  26. Your absolutely right , it’s easy to see your headline stating “Parker man dead”posted underneath Johnny’s picture at the top of this page and then to see a like come from anyone can be somewhat confusing with the headline that Parker live decided was most appropriate . So I apologize to Officer Maya as I now see how this can look disrespectful , and possibly to each and everyone of our family members! If any of you were a witness to our family’s grief , then maybe you all would understand. I am, always have been and always will be protective of my family. Luke and I are on the same page with only wanting answers. I feel my family is being taken advantage of , along with disrespected. The things they have been denied or given a run around about are things that they are very much entitled to. Simple , paper work for example. Having the initial paperwork from the scene does not jeopardize the investigation it simply states what they witnessed on arrival and then the detectives investigate from there . my family should’ve already gotten a police report, and not a police report from Parker PD , especially from a parker PD cop , that arrived after the ambulance was there , in this situation actions speak the loudest to the family , and I’m sure friends as well. Especially When you act like you have no regard , what so ever for the victims life, or family . just think about how that would have an effect on everyone that loved him. Everyone has their own opinion of my cousin but what I can say is that he did not deserve to die the way he Did . I strongly feel that Johnny would still be with us today if anybody but La Paz would’ve been the first on scene . Just so everybody knows Johnny is my family he’s been my family since the first time I saw him running around as a child in his diapers , that being said I’ll get on here and say whatever I want , or feel I have to say . especially if I feel like my families being disrespected , miss lead stepped on , fucked with , or however you wanna put it . The part that blows my mind , are the officers involved on scene , being public figures of the law , and representing something way greater than themselves, are going to stand around on scene , being seen not helping Johnny at all , while he’s laying there bleeding out , and then have the nerve or the disrespect , to say what they said about him , while he’s laying there in the dirt dying , and believe me everybody’s going to hear about that . when it’s the right time for it to come out , and when it’s the right time for everything to come out . because it’s coming !! The majority of the people in Parker might look and seem like trailer park trash or lower middle class or however you wanna put it , but never judge a book by its cover. Johnny b and his family , are my family just like the starks are my family. And his siblings are my family . And I would do anything for them , because that’s how family should be , this world would be a greater place if we could all just get along , and in this case stop shooting each other, if anybody has a problem with what I just said , or they want to make disrespectful comments , or disrespect the family , when they don’t know what the fuck THEIR TALKING ABOUT . Then they can also , take that blue thumb and shove it up their ass !!!! To everybody that has been respectful to my family I thank you from the bottom of my heart . the community needs to come together and put an end to this bullshit , because obviously local law-enforcement can’t handle it and they definitely don’t handle it right . which is probably why there’s four or five different agencies for law Inforcement here !

  27. In Loving Memory Of Find Justin Day

    Prayers to the family of Johnny B. I feel your pain. ????????. Justin Days mother who was murdered in Big River but law enforcement never helped. They will give you every excuse to avoid further investigation.

  28. The family should contact the state of Arizona and also the news channel stations and FBI AND MAKE SOMEBODY LISTEN AND DO SOMETHING JOHNNY WAS A GOOD MAN IDC WHAT ANYONE SAYS HE DIDN’T DESERVE TO DIE LIKE THIS HE DESERVES JUSTICE AND DESERVED TO BE TREATED LIKE A HUMAN AND NOT LIKE THE WAY HE WAS IDGAF PEOPLE NEED TO HAVE HEARTS AND EVERYONE DESERVES TO BE TREATED FAIRLY AND TO BE TREATED LIKE A HUMAN AND PARKER SHERIFFS AND POLICE ALL HAVE HABITS OF NOT HANDLING THINGS CORRECTLY AND TREATING PEOPLE LIKE TRASH THINKING THERE BETTER THEN ANYONE BECAUSE THEY WEAR A BADGE WHEN IN REALITY THERE COLD HEARTED AND DONT TREAT CERTAIN PEOPLE LIKE TRASH AND DONT CARE IF CERTAIN PEOPLE DIE THEY ALLOW THEM TO DIE AND DONT DO THERE JOBS CORRECTLY BECAUSE THEY DONT CARE ITS SAD BUT ITS TRUE I DONT CARE IVE SEEN IT TOO MANY TIMES HOW HEARTLESS AND CARELESS AND CORRUPTED THERE LAW OFFICIALS ARE IT NEEDS TO STOP !!
    JOHNNY BECKHAM WAS A GOOD FATHER SON BROTHER UNCLE COUSIN FRIEND AND DESERVES TO BE TREATED LIKE SUCH AND NOT TREATED THE WAY HE WAS AND DESERVES JUSTICE HIS SON BOBBY DESERVES JUSTICE HIS FATHER WAS CARELESSLY TAKEN TO SOON FROM HIM …
    MY CONDOLENCES TO HIS SON AND FAMILY AND PRAYERS YOU ALL GET ANSWERS AND JUSTICE JOHNNY WAS A GOOD MAN MAMA BECKHAM YOU AND YOUR HUSBAND MAY HE REST IN PEACE RAISED A GOOD MAN HE HELPED SO MAY AND LOVED HIS SON AND FAMILY MORE THEN ANYONE COULD EVER KNOW AND TALKED NOTHING BUT GOOD ABOUT YOU ALL I PRAY YOU ALL GET JUSTICE.. MY ADVICE FROM MY FATHER IN LAW IS TO GO ABOVE THE LA PAZ COUNTY OFFICE AND GO TO THE STATE OF ARIZONA AND ALSO FBI AND IF HE WAS YOU GUYS ALSO GO TO THE NEWS OUTLETS AND TELL JOHNNYS STORY MAKE SOMEONE LISTEN AND MAKE SURE HE GETS JUSTICE AND MAKE SURE THE PIECE OF CRAP WHO DID THIS TO HIM GETS LOCKED UP AND COPS WHO DIDN’T HANDLE IT RIGHT GET WHAT THEY DESERVE TO EVERYONE IS HUMAN AND DESERVES TO BE TREATED EQUALLY AND SAVED EQUALLY NOBODIES LIFE IS MORE IMPORTANT THEN THE NEXT PERSONS…

  29. I got to know Johnny B for one whole year and I wouldn’t give that up for anything. I lived in Parker for a year moving there from MI and I can agree with how corrupt the cops are there. I was pulled over there simply for being married to a Stark and driving a mustang…….the reason…..I didn’t make a 3 second stop….are you kidding me. I had my 3 kids with me going to Roadrunner to watch fireworks. I hope to GOD Johnny gets the justice he deserves! And people on here need to step off and think about if it was your family! Johnny did not deserve this and Bobby certainly did not! I will get his story told to news in my state….I will get his story told to anyone that will listen…..anything I can do to help! I know I’m not known to some out there but I’ll do my best to help in any way that I possibly can. You all are in my thoughts and prayers ????

  30. Douglas Cindie in no way was I being heartless nor was I trying to be. I can’t even begin to imagine the hurt the family is feeling with their losses over the past few years. My thoughts and prayers are with all of them
    The family just needs to trust our law enforcement and the detectives. All I was trying to get at is they don’t know the work that goes on behind closed doors. They have been bashing the department since.

  31. Becky Morris no way I was bashing the department. I just don’t believe the truth was told. I don’t believe it should have took that long to make a call to public. They did not have to state a name but they could have put a notification out as soon as it happened like all other departments do.

  32. Luke Marler understandable. Praying for you and your family. I meant no disrespect towards you in any way!

  33. So does anybody know why this man shot him? My deepest condolences to his family and friends. My oldest brother was murdered twelve years ago, so I know exactly what you are going through.

  34. JusticeForJohnnyBeckham

    Okay So Here’s The Big Question For Sheriffs Department And Parker Live Online And The Parker Pioneer….
    This Was On July 6th Here It Is August 8th A Month Later And There Hasn’t Been Not A Single Update About Johnny’s Death Not One And Nothing On The News Nothing So What Are Sheriff’s Really Doing To Find This Guy And Why Hasn’t This Guys Wanted Picture Been Ran In Newspaper Every Week Until He Is Caught Something ??? Seriously Sheriffs Already Failed Johnny By Letting This Guy Return Back To His House And Leave In Second Vehicle After He Abandoned One And Drive Away In Vehicle Off The Hill When They Should Of Had A undercover officer sitting some where watching and waiting to see if he showed and he should of never been able to get in vehicle and drive off and doing area searches with helicopter drone something and why hasn’t his family’s house in California been raided yet and why hasn’t other states and nearby county or law enforcement heard anything about Johnny’s case I know for a fact that imperial county sheriffs office and Yuma hasn’t until here recently.. or bigger question why hasn’t FBI been called in yet like they have right away supposedly before in other cases what does the family and friends of Johnny Beckham’s gotta do to get some one to do there jobs and start doing something to catch his killer??

  35. It’s pretty obvi it’s a set up .You can’t even go to the area where be was found .No one commits suicide by drowning themselves. It’s human nature to fight for your life . If he did try to kill himself this way he would have got out of the car and swam for air bc it’s just a natural reaction ina situation like that.. . NO ONE IS GOING TO SUFFER BY DROWNING THEMSELVES. IS EVERONE RETARDED? IF YOU ARE GOIING TO KILL YOURSELF IT IS GOING TO BE SOMETHING FAST … USE YOUR BRAINS … SMH A BUNCH OF IDIOTS….. PARKER POLICE ARE MURDERERS! SET UP ! THIS GUY WOULDNT HAVE KILLED ANYONE AS HIS NICK NAME WAS “QUIET BRIAN” … SMH

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