The Nevada Killing Spree (Image via Unsplash/@ JOSHUA COLEMAN)
In May 2013, northern Nevada experienced a disturbing sequence of events when 25-year-old ex-convict Jeremiah Bean executed a robbery-based murder spree that lasted for about 72 hours.
The spree started in the peaceful town of Fernley when Bean attacked senior citizens inside their homes to steal their belongings and vehicles, leaving behind multiple dead bodies. Five people lost their lives: two elderly couples were shot in their residences, and a newspaper deliveryman was killed along a highway exit.
Authorities later determined that Bean's actions were driven by a need for cash to buy drugs and he attempted to conceal his crimes by starting fires. The case started on Mother's Day weekend when the police found dead bodies on May 13.
The timeline presents their complete sequence of events according to court documents and official reports. The documentary The Nevada Killing Spree provides a complete, detailed account that will show on Investigation Discovery on February 18, 2026.
The Nevada Killing Spree: The murders of Robert and Dorothy Pape
Jeremiah Bean entered the home of Robert and Dorothy Pape on Jessica Lane in Fernley, Nevada, on Friday, May 10 2013. Outside, Robert was working in the yard when Bean entered the house through an unlocked door. He encountered Dorothy lying in bed and shot her in the back of the head.
Bean shot Robert after he entered the house. Bean then ransacked the house, taking hundreds of dollars in jewelry, cash, and other items. He also stole the couple's pickup truck to flee the scene. The killings went unnoticed at the time, as no immediate reports were made.
The time period of three days allowed Bean to continue his activities without anyone detecting him. The Papes' bodies remained undiscovered until Monday, May 13, when authorities connected the crime to other incidents in the area.
The court documents showed that Bean, who had a previous burglary felony conviction, was on parole at the time and not allowed to own guns. The attack on the Papes marked the start of the spree which shows that Bean targeted elderly victims who had disabilities, as per 2 News.
The killings of Angie Duff and Lester Leiber
Jeremiah Bean broke into Robert Pape's house with his wife, Dorothy Pape, on May 10, 2013. Bean entered the house while Robert Pape worked outside in the yard. He found Dorothy sleeping in bed, and he shot her in the back of the head.
Bean shot Robert who had just entered the room. Bean stole hundreds of dollars' worth of jewelry, cash, and other valuables from the house. He also stole the couple's pickup truck to flee the scene. The people who committed the killings were able to escape because the police received no reports about the crime.
The police remained unaware of his criminal activities during this time period. The police discovered the bodies of the Papes on May 13 after they found links between the current case and other local criminal activities.
Bean who had a previous felony conviction for burglary, was found in court documents to be on parole which prohibited him from owning guns. The attack on the Papes marked the start of the spree which showed that Bean preferred to rob elderly people who lacked protection, according to KSL.
The murder of Eliazar Graham near Mustang
Jeremiah Bean operated the stolen pickup truck which he had taken from the Papes' residence on Monday, May 13, 2013, three days after the Fernley killings. He drove the vehicle from their house to an Interstate 80 exit which exists east of Reno close to the Mustang Ranch brothel.
The vehicle became disabled or stuck in a ditch. Eliazar Graham, a delivery driver from Sparks, Nevada, who was 52 years old at that time, stopped his vehicle because Bean needed help. Bean shot Graham, left his body in a roadside ditch, and stole his truck to continue fleeing.
Graham's death marked the final murder in the series of killings that he committed. Authorities found his body when they searched for evidence related to the linked criminal investigations. The stolen truck linked this incident to the Fernley scenes, as investigators traced the Pape vehicle to the site.
Graham helped people who walked by him until he met Bean, who attacked him when he felt most defenseless. The event showed Bean's capacity to kill people so he could secure transportation after his first theft attempt ended in failure as he traveled from Fernley to an area extending 30 miles, as reported by AP Press.
Discovery of the crimes and Bean's arrest
The crimes became known to the public when firefighters investigated a fire at the Duff and Leiber residence in Fernley. Firefighters discovered two deceased individuals within the burnt building, which led Lyon County officials to treat the incident as a double homicide investigation.
The investigation team examined adjacent properties, which led to the finding of the Papes' bodies inside their intact house while their vehicle remained missing. Eliazar Graham's remains appeared later that day in a roadside ditch situated close to the abandoned Pape truck.
The investigators established connections between the two locations using the stolen goods and the vehicle. The police identified Jeremiah Bean as a suspect because they found evidence of his parole status and his previous conviction for burglary.
The police detained him on May 13 because of burglary charges, but the charges against him were expanded on May 16 to include 19 different offenses, which contained five open murder cases, arson, robbery, and illegal firearm possession by a felon.
The authorities delivered the case against Bean without granting him any possibility of future release. The law enforcement agencies established a connection between the two cases according to a 72-hour period which they reconstructed through court documents and witness statements, as NBC reported.
Trial, conviction, and aftermath
The trial of Jeremiah Bean started in July 2015 at the Lyon County District Court located in Yerington, Nevada. He initially considered a guilty plea to avoid the death penalty but pleaded not guilty in November 2013.
The prosecutors proved that Bean murdered his victims to steal their money which he used to buy drugs and he destroyed the house to hide all evidence of his crimes. The jury found him guilty on July 28, 2015, of five first-degree murder charges, together with arson, burglary, robbery, auto theft, and firearm offenses.
The death penalty recommendation, together with 78 to 195 years for other crimes, was handed down during the August 2015 penalty phase. The judge established the official sentence through his November 2015 sentence announcement.
The defense team for Bean presented evidence of his intellectual disabilities, but the court dismissed this evidence. The Nevada Supreme Court rejected his appeal in September 2019 which maintained the death penalty and all of his convictions.
Bean has stayed on death row at Ely State Prison since 2026 because Nevada execution procedures face permanent delays due to legal and execution problems. No new appeals have been reported in the case, according to CBS News.
Catch The Nevada Killing Spree on Investigation Discovery.
