Beckwith gets 10+ years in shooting death
LAKE HAVASU CITY – A local judge on Friday, March 10 ordered a 10.5-year prison term for one Lake Havasu City teenager who shot and killed another in July, 2021. Judge Doug Camacho sentenced Carter Beckwith, 20, for the death of 19-year-old Daemon Petetan in the back yard during a house party at 2387 Alpine Lane.
The trial jury declined to convict Beckwith of second-degree murder, instead finding him guilty of manslaughter. His attorney Jaimye Ashley maintains that Beckwith acted in self-defense and fled because he was a confused and scared kid, 18 at the time of the shooting.
Beckwith expressed remorse for Petetan’s death. He said he regretted stepping outside rather than simply avoiding Petetan.
“I wish I would have just walked away,” Beckwith said, offering apology to Petetan’s family. “I just pray that one day they can forgive me for the pain I’ve caused them.”
About a dozen friends and family members showed up in support of Beckwith, while an equal number attended on behalf of Petetan.
Friends and family members dabbed back tears as images of Petetan, at different stages of life, played during a five-minute video. Petetan was smiling in most of the pictures, occasionally prompting a chuckle while evoking fond memories from the victim’s gallery.
Their suffering was evident.
“I will never understand why someone shot and killed my beautiful baby,” Petetan’s mother Nicole Polycn told the Court, questioning Beckwith’s central claim. “Self-defense does not run.”
Polcyn expressed sorrow that her son was unable to fulfill his dream of moving to California with his girlfriend, with plans to start a family.
Judge Camacho said there’s a “glaring distinction” between the grief of those losing a family member for a decade behind bars and the suffering of those who have lost Petetan forever.
Beckwith still faces prosecution for alleged theft of a weapon and assaulting a detention officer. Attorneys indicated they are engaged in plea negotiations and Judge Camacho asked them to provide an update during an April 6 status conference.
Dave Hawkins
