In the early morning hours of October 8, 2025, the quiet village of Homer, New York, was disturbed by an act of violence that would end the life of one of its residents. Anthony T. Beecham, a 53-year-old male, was discovered in the driveway of his home at 40 Grove Street suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. The initial call to emergency services, just before 3:30 a.m., reported a possible cardiac arrest. However, upon arrival, Village of Homer police officers found Beecham and began life-saving measures until medical personnel arrived. Despite their efforts, he was transported to Guthrie Cortland Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.
The investigation, led by the Cortland County Sheriff's Office, quickly pointed to a homicide. A preliminary probe revealed that a dark-colored vehicle was seen leaving the area at a high rate of speed around the time of the shooting. For weeks, the case remained under investigation, with law enforcement assuring the public that they believed it to be an isolated incident. The community was on edge as authorities worked to identify a suspect in the shooting death.
A significant breakthrough in the case came on November 7, 2025, with the arrest of 20-year-old Aaron T. Keem of Freeville. He was taken into custody in the Town of Dryden by the Tompkins County Sheriff's Office. Following his arrest, Keem was charged with second-degree murder, a Class A-1 violent felony. He was subsequently indicted by a grand jury and remanded to the Cortland County Jail without bail.
