On December 3, 2025, Charity Beallis (40) and her twins Maverick and Eliana (6) were found shot to death in their home in Bonanza, Arkansas.
Charity and her husband/the father of the children Randy Beallis had been going through a contentious custody battle, so there were many questions about what actually happened.
As some background, Charity has another child from a previous relationship, a son named John Powell. He was 24 as of December 2025. We don’t know much about his father or her previous relationships.
Randall ‘Randy’ Beallis is a doctor who works as a family practitioner. He first became licensed in Florida in July 1996 and then in Illinois in 1998. Records indicate that he was never disciplined by medical boards in those states.
Randy applied for his Arkansas medical license in March 2008. Professionals who had worked with him previously vouched that he was well qualified to practice in the state.
“In my association with him I have always found him to be a conscientious physician who showed significant empathy towards his patients and always took good care of them,” one reference letter said.
“Dr. Beallis has exhibited high standards of ethics and morality,” another reference said.
Randy has been married four times in total.
His first marriage was from 1997-2010 to Donna Beallis. The couple have three children together.
Randy then married Shawna Graham Beallis in May 2010. Shawna died from a gunshot wound in January 2012. Her death would be ruled a suicide.
Info from Shawna’s obit:
Shawna Jeanette Graham Beallis, 34, of Fort Smith, AR passed away Thursday, January 5, 2012 in Fort Smith. Shawna was born August 9, 1977 in Big Springs, TX to Lucky George & Teresa Cay (Davis) Graham. She was a Licensed Practical Nurse. Shawna was a loving mother, precious daughter and sister. She always had fun living life. Survivors include her daughter, Bella Grace Graham of the home; husband, Dr. Randy Beallis of the home; stepchildren, Melissa Beallis, Ryan Beallis, Emily Beallis all of Ft. Smith, AR;
This is some information about the suicide:
According to the initial incident report, officers were called to Randall and Shawna Beallis’ home on January 5, 2012. When they arrived, Randall answered the door and said, “She killed herself.” Police found Shawna dead in the bedroom from a gunshot wound. The report also noted furniture and other items scattered throughout the home.
Randall told police he returned home from work because Shawna had threatened suicide. After spending “four hours” at the house, he said he went back to work and later returned to find her dead.
Charity married Randy on May 12, 2012. This marriage did not last long and they were separated by October 2012 – 5 months. Their divorce was finalized on November 16, 2012.
They got back together and remarried in 2015 – this would be Randy’s fourth marriage.
In January 2018, Randy had his first run-in with the medical board. He allegedly prescribed Charity Schedule II narcotics after a surgery.
Examples of Schedule II Narcotics & Substances:
Opioids/Pain Medications: Fentanyl (Duragesic), Hydromorphone (Dilaudid), Methadone (Methadose), Morphine, Oxycodone (OxyContin, Percocet), Hydrocodone (Vicodin), and Oxymorphone.
Stimulants: Amphetamine (Adderall, Dexedrine), Methamphetamine, and Methylphenidate (Ritalin, Concerta).
Other: Pentobarbital, Secobarbital, and some cocaine derivatives.
Randy sent a letter to board members, apologizing for the infraction and promising to never do it again.
“This was inappropriate and I regret not asking the surgeon to write this prescription. I assure you that this medicine was used appropriately… I am fully engaged in curtailing the opioid scourge and counsel patients daily on the subject. I apologize for my poor decision,” he wrote
The medical board wrote back in April 2018, explaining that they voted to accept the documentation of the incident for “information only” to be kept in Randy’s file should it need to be referenced in the future.
Randy and Charity’s twins, Maverick and Eliana were born in 2019.
Around this time, Charity published a book. We have tried to find more information about her life prior to marrying Randall but there is very little information that is available.
Charity’s book is called A Lifetime of Miracles: Transformation through tragedy. We did try to order the book but it is currently unavailable.
This is a true story from birth to 2017 about the hardships I’ve endured. It is meant to inspire others to look at the life I’ve had and say, “If she can change, I can change.” Some of us think what we’ve done is too bad or what happened to us can never be a thing of the past. We continue to live in that past daily and suffer from the emotional or physical challenges we face from such tragedies. But it doesn’t have to be that way. It is not easy by all means, but it can be overcome. The key is God and His grace. It is vital to know starting out, that this is not a change that occurs over night, it is a journey that lasts a lifetime. That being said, it is totally worth it. You will become a better person everyday and start to love yourself, and others, once again.
A review
This book is definitely 5 stars! It is such a testimony of Faith, Hope and God’s love for us. The author endured years of abuse but never gave up on the power of prayer….. and it paid off. I urge you to purchase, if you need to see a true miracle or if you just need a good read!
As an interesting side note, in 2021, Charity’s father – Randy Powell (another Randy provided information to the Bonanza Police Department regarding Shawna’s death. The police report claimed that Randy Powell said Charity was involved in the death. He would later speak to the media and say that he never said that, only that “she knew who did it.” Evidence from the original investigation was destroyed in 2014 after Shawna’s death was ruled a suicide. The case was closed again due to limited evidence.
That same year, Randy was mentioned during a February meeting of the medical board for a new complaint. Bonanza police detailed accusations of aggravated assault and endangering the welfare of a minor at this time.
This information is from 5newsonline:
The report said that in May 2020, officers responded to the Beallis residence after reports that Charity and Randall had slashed the tires of their then 17-year-old son, John Powell.
“For confirmation, I asked both Mr. and Mrs. Beallis if they had slashed tires and both Mr. and Mrs. Beallis indicated that they had,” an officer wrote in the report, explaining that the action was a result of an argument with Powell.
According to the report, Powell spoke to police and explained that his mom had grabbed a knife, walked over to him, and demanded his phone. During this, he claimed his mom had pulled a gun on Dr. Beallis before.
Powell explained to police that during this, as the Beallis’ held knives to slash his tires, they were holding their infant twins, according to the police report.
The police report said Bonanza Police Chief Mike Barber became involved, and the decision was made to contact the Department of Human Services and to call the Child Abuse Hotline.
“I told [the DHS caseworker] that I had concerns over the video that I had seen with both parents holding a one-year-old in one arm and swinging a knife with the other,” the officer said in the report.
Medical board documents indicate that Dr. Beallis pleaded no contest to misdemeanor criminal mischief, receiving a one-year suspended sentence and ordered to attend six months of anger management classes.
Randy appeared at the April 2021 board meeting, and again, the state medical board voted to accept the information for his file and take no disciplinary action.
By 2025, Charity and Randy’s second marriage was on the rocks. In February 2025, Randy was arrested for allegedly choking Charity in front of the children.
Randy was charged with Aggravated Assault on a family or household member and with third-degree domestic battery. He also faced two counts of third-degree endangering the welfare of a minor.
Charity emailed the medical board about this incident:
“We are traumatized. You guys need to know about this,” Charity said.
Randy wrote a letter to the medical board in February 2025 responding to Charity’s claims. He alleged that his wife would not allow him to see her phone, and that he “made the mistake of taking her phone out of her hand.”
“She went into a rage and started swinging and hitting me,” Dr. Beallis said. “I was being blocked in the bathroom and had no other choice but to use some physical force to get out. I never squeezed her neck nor choked her at any time.”
Randy said he saw on her phone that she was talking to her father, Randy Powell, about getting a divorce.
In a police report from the incident, Randy told officers that he “pushed her up against the wall and shoved her into the sink before she ran outside.”
“Mr. Beallis stated he ran after her and caught her when he took her cell phone from her,” the report said.
Charity filed for divorce from Randy in March 2025 following this alleged domestic violence incident.
In court filings, Charity requested full custody of the twins, as well as a protective order. She said that she was concerned about Randy’s behaviour and his alleged abusive tendencies.
Charity emailed the board again in April 2025, explaining that she and her children had “extensive interviews” at a nearby advocacy center.
“The Arkansas State Police Crimes Against Children division informed me they will be notifying Mercy Rehab in Chaffee that Randy Beallis now had pending child abuse charges,” Charity said.
Randy appeared in person before the board in August 2025 to address the allegations against him. He told the board that the twins had been instructed by their mother to give false claims to the police.
Board members voted to table the issue pending the outcome of the abuse case. A ‘concerned member of the public’ wrote a letter to the board about Randy’s behavior.
“It is my sincere hope that this board will take appropriate and decisive action to protect the public, especially vulnerable children, when evaluating the continued licensure of Dr. Randy Beallis,” the letter said.
Accompanying the letter was a report from the Arkansas State Police Crimes Against Children division, which recommended Dr. Beallis be placed on the Child Maltreatment Central Registry following the March 2025 abuse case.
Another anonymous submission was sent to the board that same month, This person requested a disciplinary review of Randy, citing child abuse concerns and that one of his previous wives “died by apparent suicide under circumstances some believe were suspicious.”
Multiple reports accompanied this submission, detailing allegations of abuse involving Charity and her two children between July 2024 and February 2025.
Randy responded to one of the submissions, claiming that the allegations they contained had “no basis in reality.”
“I hold the responsibilities of my profession with the highest seriousness, and I remain committed to upholding both the standards of medical practice and the trust of the community I serve,” he said.
In August 2025, Charity commented on social media post, writing, “I’m living this battle right now. I am the victim, yet I’ve been treated like the problem while the criminal — a local doctor — is being shielded by the very system that’s supposed to protect us.” She wrote that she “tried to reach Prosecuting Attorney Daniel Shue, but he won’t even accept a letter from me.”
“My voice, as the victim, has been shut out. This is not just about me — this is about a system that protects offenders and rejects victims. Lives are at stake, including the lives of young children. The case is public information: State of Arkansas vs. Randy Beallis, Case No. 66GCR-25-31 (available on Court Connect). Transparency matters. Accountability matters. Victims matter,” the comment continued.
An Arkansas Department of Health spokesperson confirmed that Randy was discussed at the medical board’s October 2025 meeting, and the matter was tabled again.
Less than a week after that, Randy pleaded guilty to a single charge of third-degree battery. He received a one-year suspended sentence, was fined $1,500 and also received a no contact order which meant that he was not allowed to contact Charity of her family.
The final custody hearing between Randy and Charity was held on December 2, 2025. Charity had been through multiple attorneys during the process and ended up representing herself.
The judge awarded joint custody of the twins to their parents. As we mentioned, Charity had previously sought sole custody. She was court ordered to take the children to Randy on December 5, 2025.
The day after the final court hearing was when Charity and the children were found deceased. The Sebastian County Sheriff’s Office were asked to conduct a welfare check at the home in Bonanza. They went to the home at 9.30am on December 3.
Upon knocking, nobody answered the door. Two workers at the home let the deputies inside and that is when Charity and the children were discovered.
The day after the bodies were found, Randy’s attorney filed a motion to dismiss the divorce case due to it not being finalized. The judge issued an abatement on December 8 due to Charity’s death.
John, Charity’s son, filed a letter to the judge on December 4. He was attempting to get a divorce decree entered and he wanted to become the administrator of his mother’s estate.
“My mother fought for nine months, the last nine months, to save her life and them babies, and nothing happened,” John said. “Now all three of them is dead.” He said he believes his mother would have fought “tooth and nail” to protect the children. “She went out with a fight,” he said.
Randy’s attorney argued that Charity died before the divorce was signed and Randy was considered a widow, not divorced.
Understandably, due to the contentious nature of the divorce that had been ongoing, there was much speculation online about how Charity and the children died. We even saw one true crime ‘reporter’ outright say that Randy was responsible. By December 10, Homeland Security and the Secret Service had joined the case.
An investigation into their deaths was launched.
5News reached out to Randy’s attorney on December 18, 2025 and asked for a response to the accusations that had been sent to the medical board about him. This info is from the 5News article about the case:
The following day, his legal counsel sent us a scanned chapter of Charity’s book, “A Lifetime of Miracles.”
The chapter, and the accompanying information from Dr. Beallis’ lawyer, didn’t address any of the information in the medical board documents.
However, it did detail a decade-old incident in which Charity claimed she pulled a gun on her husband.
“The lie was that I had assaulted my husband with a firearm in self-defense,” Charity wrote. “The truth is I did it because that’s what I had seen growing up as the best way to control people: fear.”
Charity wrote in the book published in February 2019 that she regrets “making [Dr. Beallis] look like a woman abuser.”
Days after the deaths of Charity and the children, her father Randy called the court and blamed the judge for what happened.
District Court Judge Shannon Blatt claims that Randy Powell, Charity’s father, was “irate” during a call with her trial court assistant. Randy said during the call that Blatt “might as well have pulled the trigger herself,” and he claimed that she was responsible for his daughter and grandchildren’s deaths.
On Tuesday December 23, 2025, Charity’s belongings were found in a dumpster by a dumpster diver. A necklace and photos were found.
The woman who found the items told KNWA/FOX24’s Doug Warner that after pulling the bag out and going through the items the following morning, she was shocked to see photos of the Beallis family, a receipt with Charity’s Bonanza address and a necklace with the names of Charity’s children on it.
The woman contacted Charity’s family to let them know about the situation. When John found out what had happened, he questioned a detective about the situation. The detective allegedly asked him “How did you find out?”
On March 4, 2026, we learned that the autopsies had been completed on Charity and the twins. Both children died from homicide and Charity died from suicide.
Arkansas State Crime Lab in Little Rock, Sheriff’s Office Capt. Philip Pevehouse said in a news release:
“The investigation is continuing as SCSO is still awaiting search warrant returns on electronic forensic searches on electronic devices,” Pevehouse said. “SCSO has not found any evidence thus far to indicate any other conclusion other than that determined by the autopsies conducted by ASCL.
“However, our office attempts to always investigate our cases as conclusively as possible,” he said.
We also learned some more about the investigation.
The Sheriff’s Office also stated that court records show Charity “wished to be reconciled to her estranged husband, which did not happen.”
She gave a deposition in the divorce case she filed against Randy last year, and transcripts of that deposition plus the final hearing on the case Dec. 2 indicate those wishes, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
“Mrs. Beallis, after being represented by four different attorneys, represented herself in the contested divorce/custody hearing,” the release states. “At the conclusion of the hearing, Mrs. Beallis was ordered to begin joint custody of her children with her estranged husband.”
Police investigated Randy’s whereabouts at the time that Charity and the children died.
He drove a Tesla at that time, the Sheriff’s Office reported, and investigators received location data on that vehicle from the auto company.
“According to the information provided by Tesla, Mrs. Beallis’ estranged husband’s vehicle was not near the residence in Bonanza on the night in question,” the release states. “Also, the estranged husband’s phones did not ‘ping’ any of the cell towers proximately related to Ms. Beallis’ location.”
Investigators also looked at info from cameras and security systems at the home where Charity and the children died.
The Sheriff’s Office said Charity had “exclusive access to the security system” and deactivated the alarm herself via her phone about 10 p.m. December 2, 2025.
“Even though deactivated, the alarm company was able to provide information showing no doors or windows to the home were opened during that time,” the Sheriff’s Office release stated.
Officers who arrived at the home and discovered the bodies Dec. 3 had to use a key to access the house and said there were no doors or windows open, the Sheriff’s Office reported.
“SCSO rigorously tested the functioning of each door and window and found them to be operating properly,” Capt. Philip Pevehouse said.
Agencies involved in the continuing investigation, in addition to the Sheriff’s Office, include the Bonanza, Greenwood and Fort Smith police departments; Arkansas State Police; the FBI; Homeland Security Investigations; and the U.S. Secret Service, Captain Pevehouse said.
After the autopsy results were released, Randy’s attorney, Michael Pierce emailed the media and said:
“At some time on or around December 3, 2025, the tragic event occurred before Mr. Beallis was able to receive his children back from their mother. He is now heartbroken that the return of his children was taken away from him.”
“Mr. Beallis continues to recover from the tragic event that took his children from him. He would like to thank all of the law enforcement officials working on this case for their diligent efforts to find the truth.
“We were not surprised by the findings in the autopsy, as we knew that Mr. Beallis was not responsible for the death of his wife, nor his children,” the attorney said.
“Further, the Sebastian County Sheriff’s office has made a clear statement that they have not found evidence indicating any conclusion other than those determined by the autopsies conducted by the Crime Lab,” the attorney said. “Please inform the public that continued defamatory and libelous false accusations and statements including those made on social media against Mr. Beallis will be reviewed and potentially pursued in the legal system.”
Charity ended up being buried alone and the remains of the children were released to Randy. Charity’s burial occurred on December 29, 2025.
John spoke to the media in January 2026 and said “I don’t even know if the kids have been buried, or cremated, or where they may be. I don’t know anything at the moment, because Randy has told me nothing.’”
“It’s heartbreaking.”
“It’s sickening. I was hoping to have them all in the same place, as they deserved and how they would have wanted it. It’s just been a lot,” he said.
“She was going to move somewhere else, get a good job and let the kids have a good life. Then she wanted to hopefully one day become a good grandmother and just enjoy the things that any normal family would want.”
“She was always worrying about something happening,” he said.
“She was fighting so hard to protect her kids.”
SOURCE LIST
https://people.com/arkansas-mom-final-divorce-hearing-husband-next-day-dead-11864062
https://www.evansandmillerfuneralhome.com/guestbook/shawna-beallis
https://caseinfo.arcourts.gov/opad/case/66GDR-25-40
https://www.aol.com/articles/autopsy-reveals-causes-death-ark-183538439.html?utm_source=chatgpt.com
https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2026/mar/04/beallis-killed-herself-and-2-children-sebastian
https://www.usmagazine.com/crime-news/news/mother-killed-twins-after-her-ex-was-granted-custody
https://www.nwaonline.com/news/2026/mar/04/charity-beallis-died-of-suicide-sebastian-county
https://www.the-sun.com/news/15767571/charity-beallis-children-deaths-home-divorce-battle
