photo by: Chris Conde/Special to the Journal-World

Julius Beasley appears on Wednesday, Oct 30, 2024, in Douglas County District Court. He has been ordered to stand trial in connection with the stabbing death of a woman at an unsanctioned homeless camp in North Lawrence.

Updated at 1:47 p.m. Monday, March 2

A Douglas County judge dismissed a first-degree murder case Monday morning after the Douglas County District Attorney’s Office filed a motion seeking dismissal due to lack of evidence.

On Monday the state requested that the charges against defendant Julius Robert Beasley, who was accused of killing a woman in a tent at a homeless camp in North Lawrence, be dropped without prejudice, meaning they could be refiled later. Judge Stacey Donovan promptly granted that request, and the jury trial scheduled for April was canceled.

photo by: Contributed

Crystal White

Beasley, 42, was facing one count of first-degree murder in connection with the death of 51-year-old Crystal Marie White on Feb. 22, 2024. White died at the unsanctioned camp that was once home to dozens of unhoused residents at 100 Maple St. in North Lawrence. The camp was adjacent to the city-supported camp called Camp New Beginnings.

The murder case was originally brought by the former DA, Suzanne Valdez.

In a news release Monday, the office of Douglas County DA Dakota Loomis said that the request for dismissal followed a “thorough review of the transcripts of the preliminary hearings, witness statements collected at the time of the murder, the forensic evidence available, and the potential unavailability of certain witnesses.”

The review “led the State to conclude that the admissible evidence is ethically insufficient to proceed to trial,” at which the state would have to prove Beasley’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt, but the office said the decision was “not a reflection on the quality of the diligent and thorough work done by the Lawrence Police Department or the cooperation of witnesses and family.”

The DA’s Office asked any person with information regarding the case to contact the Lawrence Police Department at (785) 843-8477.

At a two-part preliminary hearing in the fall of 2024, nearly a dozen former camp residents testified about heavy drug activity at the camp, heated arguments and hearing White’s cries before she was found dead with apparent stab wounds.

Judge Donovan in October 2024 ordered Beasley to stand trial, saying probable cause existed, but she also noted that “some of the evidence is confusing.” Donovan said her confusion was in reference to multiple witnesses who testified that there was very little blood on the victim’s body or in the area where she was found.

The testimony of the witnesses at the preliminary hearing often seemed to conflict — for instance, regarding times and the closeness of certain relationships — and it was rife with nicknames like Candyman, Boogeyman, Nerfgun and Boom, as well as mentions of people being in and out of jail or prison. Mysterious references to things like a “round table” and a “witch book” were also made but not explained, and one witness spoke about “energy force and magic” that humans “are not meant” to understand.

There seemed to be consensus, however, that Beasley and White were good friends, “always having fun.” When White’s daughter testified tearfully about how close Beasley and her mother had been, Beasley was also seen in court wiping back tears.

Beasley was initially arrested at Burcham Park on suspicion of a parole violation and failure to appear for a municipal court violation. According to Kansas Department of Corrections records, he has a history of multiple drug convictions, burglary and criminal threat, and he reportedly had absconded from his post-release supervision on Feb. 19, 2024, after being released from prison earlier in Douglas County. He was previously an inmate at Larned Correctional Mental Health Facility.

Beasley, who is represented by defense attorneys Angela Keck and Branden Smith, has been held on a $500,000 bond in the Douglas County Jail since his arrest.

White’s family paid tribute to her at the homeless camp about a week after her death. They said her body had been found on her 51st birthday. They served a meal to the unhoused and read a statement in White’s memory: “Crystal faced immense challenges in her life, including homelessness and the struggles of trauma and mental illness. Despite these hardships, Crystal showed unwavering love and kindness to those around her.”

Her relatives urged the community to look past her circumstances and see the person she was — “a cherished sister, daughter, aunt and cousin, as well as a mother, loved dearly by her extended family.”

photo by: Chris Conde/Journal-World

Melissa White-Gustafson, from left, Erin Williams and Angelina Cruz address the crowd on March 1, 2024, while serving a meal in honor of Crystal White, who was found stabbed to death in a tent in an unsanctioned camp on Feb. 22, 2024, near 100 Maple St. in North Lawrence.

photo by: Chris Conde/Journal-World

Members of Crystal White’s family gathered on Friday, March 1, 2024 at the camp where White was found stabbed to death.