A 32-year-old woman from Willingboro, New Jersey, is in police custody after allegedly beating her mother, Kim Beacham-Hanson, to death in their shared home. The incident, described as horrific, occurred on Monday, December 16, in the Hawthorne Park neighborhood.
Police responded to a call about an assault in progress around 4 p.m. at a residence on Hopewell Lane. Upon arrival, officers discovered the lifeless body of 57-year-old Kim Beacham-Hanson, a well-known singer celebrated for her 1992 dance hit “Trouble.” According to the Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office, the victim had suffered multiple blunt-force injuries, allegedly inflicted by her daughter, Breanna Beacham.
Lorraine Beacham, the victim’s 79-year-old mother, revealed to The New York Post that Breanna had a long history of mental illness, including schizophrenia, which had led to violent tendencies in the past.
“She wasn’t in her right mind,” Lorraine said. She added that Breanna’s mental health began deteriorating about seven years ago, leading to multiple stays in psychiatric facilities.
Tragically, one of Kim’s other daughters, a 17-year-old, was present during the attack but was unharmed. “She had this problem, and you never knew what she was going to do,” Lorraine explained. “Not in my wildest imagination did I think she would do this.”
The Burlington County Medical Examiner, Dr. Ian Hood, conducted an autopsy and ruled the death a homicide caused by multiple blunt-force injuries. Breanna Beacham was taken into custody at the scene and has been charged with first-degree murder, third-degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, and fourth-degree unlawful possession of a weapon.
She is currently being held at Burlington County Jail in Mount Holly, awaiting a detention hearing. The suspect’s daughter, who was already in the care of another family member, remains safe. Breanna had reportedly distanced herself from her family in recent years, leaving her mother unsure of her whereabouts or financial stability.
The case is now set to be presented to a grand jury for a possible indictment. In the wake of this tragedy, the state of New Jersey finds itself in the headlines for another reason: an unusual surge in drone sightings along the East Coast.
One New Jersey couple recently reported witnessing nearly 25 drones near their home, adding an unsettling layer of mystery to an already somber time for the state. For Kim Beacham-Hanson’s family, the loss of their loved one remains a devastating reminder of the challenges surrounding mental health and the unpredictable consequences when it goes untreated.