A longtime friend of the man accused of killing a Detroit mother missing since 2020 has testified about what he says he witnessed in the days following her disappearance. Jessica Bedford was reported missing by her mother on May 30, 2020.
Her body has never been found. Prosecutors allege that Keyvonte Deshawn Clark, 31, shot Bedford at his home on Cloverlawn Street before disposing of her body elsewhere. According to courtroom reporting by local NBC affiliate WDIV.
Clark was arrested on April 16, 2025, and faces charges of first-degree murder, mutilation of a dead body, felon in possession of a firearm, and felony firearm. His preliminary hearing began on August 12, 2025, with the court determining whether there is enough evidence to proceed to trial.
The judge ordered that the media withhold the names of witnesses, avoid showing their faces, and alter their voices if necessary. The first witness, a longtime friend of Clark who also knew Bedford, testified that in the middle of the night in 2020, Clark arrived at his door, appearing erratic and frustrated.
“I f** up” and “I shot the b*,” Clark allegedly told him. The witness said he did not initially believe Clark’s claim. In the days that followed, the witness met with Clark and a mutual friend before going to Clark’s house. The mutual friend asked him for help in the basement, and while heading downstairs, the witness testified he overheard the friend talking about moving a body.
At that point, the witness said he refused to get involved and asked Clark to take him home. During questioning, the prosecutor asked if he saw anything in the basement. In court, the witness insisted he did not. However, the prosecutor read from a prior police interview in which the witness reportedly said he saw plastic in the basement.
The witness maintained in the hearing that this earlier statement was incorrect. On the ride back, he testified, he cursed at Clark for asking him to be part of moving a body. Clark allegedly replied, “My bad.” The witness told Clark not to contact him again.
He clarified that Clark never directly asked him to help; the request came from a mutual friend. Under cross-examination, the witness admitted he was “a little” under the influence at the time and had been at Clark’s house for drugs. The preliminary hearing for Clark is scheduled to continue on Tuesday.