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Teen murder suspect granted bond
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The youngest of a group charged in the September beating death of 59-year-old Fred Layne Beeler has been granted a bond, although he has yet to post the amount needed to earn him freedom from the Newton County Jail.

Shavarious Jawan Moses, 17, is charged with murder, armed robbery and burglary, along with three others - 21-year-old Shane Deforest Winter, 19-year-old Justin Lee Bennett and 21-year-old Preston Ranard Mayson.

According to court records, Winter knew the victim because Beeler and his live-in girlfriend rented their West Street home from Winter's grandmother. Winter decided to "get some friends together and try to take some money" from the victim; money Winter believed the victim owed his grandmother.

The group parked on a side street and two of the teens brought weapons, Bennett a crowbar and Moses a hammer. The door of the home was kicked in and, according to records, "everyone says Bennett struck the victim repeatedly with the weapon."

Beeler's girlfriend later heard a noise in the living room, and when she went in to check on Beeler, she found him lying on the couch bleeding profusely. He was transported to Atlanta Medical Center but doctors were unable to save him.

The group was arrested very shortly afterwards.

Moses was granted a $75,000 bond at the end of November by senior Superior Court Judge John Ott. Moses has no criminal record. As stipulations of that bond, he would be on house arrest at his family's home in Jonesboro, leaving only for appointments with his attorney and to attend school Monday through Friday, he would wear an ankle monitor, he would work under his uncle's supervision Saturday and Sunday and all earnings from that job would go to reimburse the NCSO and he would have no contact with the victim's family, his co-defendants or their family.

None of the others in the case were granted a bond. While defendants in murder cases are not typically granted bond, a superior court judge does have that option.