This podcast contains adult themes and graphic violence.

Listener discretion is advised.

I'm Renee, and welcome to season one and beyond contempt.

The podcast, where the surreal meets the real.

Just a quick note before we start the show.

I'm generally more interested in cases that are not well known or haven't been

covered by some of the larger true crime podcasts. I made an exception for this episode because the topic

is interesting and it's important to remind ourselves that the internet can occasionally be a dangerous

place. Is your Tinder date who they say they are? Who is your child interacting with

on social media? Am I safe buying a used TV from Facebook Marketplace? Today, we are going to

consider the question, is that job on Craigslist too good to be true? You're listening to

episode three, Richard Beasley.

56-year-old Ralph Geiger was out of work.

He had been successful earlier in his life.

Ralph moved to California in the 70s, and it helped his dad run an antique shop.

He returned to Akron, Ohio, in the late 90s, and started his own handyman business.

Ralph remodeled homes and sometimes hired workers to help. His services were always in demand.

Ralph was kind and often lowered his prices for people who

were financially struggling. When the housing market and economy crashed, so did his business. People

did not have money to fix up their houses, and his services were not needed anymore. By 2010, he could no longer pay his rent. They evicted him from his

duplex, and he ended up in a homeless shelter in February 2011. Ralph turned down offers to live

with his friends because he did not want to impose on them. He would sometimes tell his friends

...