Adam Silverman

Free Press Staff Writer

Four people accused of murder in the beating death of a man in Burlington were arrested late Thursday in San Diego following a nationwide manhunt, police in California confirmed.

The four suspects, whom Burlington police identified publicly Thursday afternoon, were wanted on suspicion of second-degree murder in the May 22 assault on Amos Beede, 38, of Milton. Beede died at the hospital about a week after the attack at a homeless camp near the Pine Street Barge Canal.

San Diego authorities were following leads and tips that Burlington police provided when detectives found the fugitives — two men and two women in their 20s from Vermont — near a park in a part of the Southern California city known as Ocean Beach, Sgt. Michael Tansey told the Burlington Free Press less than two hours after the arrests were made at about 10 p.m. ET.

“They’ll be held, and then Vermont authorities will be bringing charges and seeking extradition from San Diego to Vermont,” Tansey said.

The suspects were being booked late Thursday and had yet to have lawyers assigned or to appear in court, the sergeant said.

The arrests came two days after one member of the group was arrested on accusations of assaulting another in Roswell, New Mexico — but he was released before the authorities there knew the individuals were wanted for murder.

Police identified the four as Erik Averill, 21, Myia Barber, 22, Allison Gee, 25, and Jordan Paul, 21.

Burlington police last week called Averill and Barber persons of interest in the case.

Chief Brandon del Pozo did not immediately respond to a question late Thursday night about the arrests, but in an email to Vermont media, he said a news conference would take place at 10 a.m. Friday "to discuss the Amos Beede homicide, take questions, and relate any recent developments."

Early Friday morning, he tweeted that the four suspects had been apprehended without incident.

Investigators on Friday said the attack appeared to have arisen from a dispute between two homeless camps. Police said the four suspects "acted in concert" to assault the victim.

Burlington police said after the assault they were investigating if any connection existed between Beede's transgender status and the attack. Police initially called the beating a "possible bias incident" but later backed off that assessment.

Averill was taken into custody Tuesday in Roswell on allegations of assaulting Barber, his "intimate partner," according to Burlington police, but he was "released prior to investigators learning their whereabouts and requesting that they be held."

Lt. Shawn Burke said before the arrests that Vermont authorities will extradite the four when they are apprehended.

"We are indebted to the fast and tireless work on the part of the Roswell Police in tracking the suspects once they became aware of their status," Burke said in a statement. "A wide network of local, state and federal law enforcement agencies has been mobilized to apprehend these suspects."

Police say the suspects were traveling in a vehicle that law enforcement was aware of, and investigators used licence-plate readers to track the location and direction of travel.

Burlington community mourns Amos Beede's death

The Burlington Free Press was first to report the issuance of the arrest warrants Thursday afternoon.

Beede was attacked May 23 near the Pine Street Barge Canal and suffered brain injuries, blunt-force trauma to the head and facial fractures. He died six days later at the University of Vermont Medical Center.

Beede's loved ones said they are distraught over his killing.

"The horrific, brutal attack that led to his death has had a tremendous impact on our family," relatives said in a statement issued through the Pride Center of Vermont. "We are heartbroken. A big piece of our lives has been ripped away from us way too soon."

The Pride Center, an advocacy organization for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer Vermonters, has scheduled a community memorial service for 6 p.m. Wednesday at Perkins Pier on the Burlington Waterfront "to remember, grieve and celebrate Amos Beede's life."

Chittenden County State's Attorney T.J. Donovan could not be reached for comment after business hours Thursday.

"Amos lived a complicated life," Beede's family said. "He had his share of hard times. Maybe because of this, he was a loving and caring person, especially to those who lived in the margins of society. From the performers on Church Street to the homeless people living in the encampments, Amos was a friend to so many people."

The statement continued: "He went to the homeless camp quite often to support others who needed help. Sometimes he mentored folks there and listened to them when they were at their wit's end. We are devastated to think that someone or some group of people could do such harm to someone who helped so many."

Beede's loved ones said his transgender status "was a really important part of his life. Amos came out to us about being transgender a year and a half ago. When he talked with us about his transition he said, 'I just want everyone to get it.' Sometimes we stumble over our words when we talk about him, but our hearts are filled with only love for him. We miss him terribly. Not knowing the truth behind this brutal attack has left us feeling hopeless."

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Correction: Amos Beede was found unconscious May 22. Also, the area of San Diego where the arrest occurred was Ocean Beach. The date and the area's name were incorrect in an earlier version of this story.

This story was first posted online at 4:55 p.m. Thursday, June 2, 2016, and updated later. Contact Adam Silverman at 802-660-1854 or asilverman@freepressmedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @wej12.