Joseph Beck: Man confesses to 2016 murder of Jennifer Molloy during Oklahoma Highway Patrol welfare check

Warning: This article contains a recollection of crime and can be triggering to some, readers’ discretion advised.

EDMOND, OKLAHOMA: A man has been taken into custody and accused of killing 19-year-old Jennifer Kyli Molloy, nearly eight years after she died. Molloy's lifeless body was found in her Edmond apartment at 900 East Wayne Avenue on October 5, 2016.

Joseph Beck allegedly confessed to killing Molloy, in 2016 while he was seated beside an interstate highway outside of Oklahoma City, according to the Edmond Police Department (EPD).

Joseph Beck charged with first-degree murder

The Oklahoma Highway Patrol reports that Beck confessed to a state trooper who conducted the welfare check on Thursday, May 2, after a bystander saw a man by himself close to an exit off I-40.

Detectives later arrested the 28-year-old and charged him with first-degree murder after they became suspicious of her death.

Records state that Beck was checked into the Oklahoma County Detention Center on Friday, May 3, and was still there as of Monday, May 6, morning.

In the words of the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, they "hope this ultimately ends in answers for an Oklahoma family."

Authorities labeled her demise as "suspicious." Although no arrests had been made in the past, they claimed that over the years, the investigation into what happened to her generated several leads.

What did Joseph Beck confess?

Beck admitted to killing Molloy by strangulation, according to KWTV, a CBS affiliate. After providing specific details about the murder, Edmond police informed the station that Beck was their top suspect in the case, which was previously considered cold.

In an interview with investigators, he admitted being attracted to Molloy and stated that he and she worked together.

Beck recalled going to Molloy's apartment before the killing, wanting to beat her, and getting upset when she asked him to leave. Then he killed her, he claimed.

What does Jennifer Molloy's family have to say?

The victim's father, Johnny Molloy, told KWTV that the arrest brought some comfort even though he was surprised and frustrated about Beck's confession. "I've been waiting on this for a long, long time and I never really thought it would happen," he said.

Kyli Molloy's family told KWTV that they had known the suspect for some time, despite the fact it is unclear exactly what kind of relationship she had with Beck outside of work. 

"Growing up with Joseph, he was the nicest guy, he was the sweetest guy," Christa Stanfiel, the victim's sister, told the station. "You would never think anything ill-mannered from him and to know this happened and that he did this over something so stupid." 

According to KWTV, Stanfiel claimed that months after her sister's death, Beck got in touch with her and asked to meet. Even in April of this year, he kept trying to get in touch with her, but she never answered him.