Murder charges filed in Grovetown double-slaying, house fire
GROVETOWN, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - A man is charged with two counts of murder and first-degree arson in a reported house fire in Grovetown that became a double-homicide investigation.
The fire was reported around 10:53 a.m. Monday.
Once it was extinguished, the bodies of Karen Denise Boswell, 47, and her 6-year-old son were discovered in a front room of the home 300 block of Newmantown Road. They’d apparently suffered thermal injuries, but knife injuries were also found.
Fire crews found Donald Beck, 32, was found inside a rear window of the home, where it appeared he had broken the glass to escape.
He was taken to a hospital, but had been released and booked into Columbia County jail by 3 p.m. Tuesday, according to jail records.
He was arrested on two counts of murder and one count of first-degree arson, according to arrest warrants.
Firefighters and investigators determined entry and exits to the house had been barricaded from inside the house.
Bond was denied on all three charges.
Officials say Beck and Boswell lived together along with several juveniles.
Police said they had gone to the area Saturday evening because Beck was drunk and left the house on foot after cutting his arm with a broken bottle. Officers met with him down the street and had him checked by emergency medical staff.
Officers spoke with Boswell and she said he had been drinking all day.
She was not afraid of him and stated he could stay home if he sobered up.
The mother and son are among the latest victims in an outbreak of violence – including claimed more than 150 lives across the CSRA in two years.
We spoke with a neighbor who said he was sitting on his couch watching TV when he saw black smoke coming out of the windows.
“I just hate it for the family,” said the neighbor, J.R. McGee.
He witnessed the smoke after his daughter told him what was going on, and he didn’t believe her.
“I was sitting on the couch watching TV actually trying to find the news when my daughter came in saying the house is on fire,” he said. “I thought she was talking about my house and then it was April Fools Day thought she was fooling me but she said, ‘No, your neighbors, your neighbors,’ and there was black smoke coming out and all the windows and everywhere and it was already burning.”
He was shaken up.
“I was freaked, I was freaked. There were five to six firemen back there to get him out through the window and someone in there screaming,” he said.
On scene, our crew noticed a baby stroller on the front porch and a kid-sized bike in the yard.
Around 3:20 p.m., officials were seen putting up an “unsafe” sign on the front of the home.
A couple days prior to the fire, Grovetown Police encountered Beck and Boswell.
The incident reports say police found Boswell at the house who said Beck got upset for unknown reasons, he had a broken bottle of wine and accidentally cut his arm. She stated he yelled at her but there was no physical , there were no visible marks, bruises or injuries to Boswell.
Beck told police he got upset because some of Boswell’s past boyfriend choices and yelled at her because he cares about her. He said he did not mean to break the wine bottle or cut his arm.
Police said Beck returned home and Boswell said she was fine with it. There were no charges.
We found Beck was served child papers on March 22. The address listed for Beck is the same address for the house that burned.
We also found back in October, more documents from the Department of Human Services ordering Beck to pay child .
On Dec. 13, 2023, Beck was arrested on suspicion of shoplifting. He was released on a $2,125 bond on Dec. 15, 2023, according to court records.
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