In the early summer of 2016, the quiet, small town of Beach, North Dakota, was disturbed by an act of violence that resulted in the death of Richard Young, a 24-year-old Caucasian male. Originally from Oregon and a former member of the U.S. Marine Corps, Young had relocated to the small community near the Montana border. The incident that led to his death unfolded on the evening of June 6th, forever altering the lives of those involved and leaving a lasting mark on the town.
On that
Monday evening, Young was with an acquaintance, 22-year-old Gabriel Alexander Castro. The two men, both of whom had moved to Beach from other states, were together when a 1911 model. 45-caliber pistol was discharged. The bullet struck Young in the head, inflicting a critical injury. He was rushed to a hospital in Bismarck for medical attention, but his injuries proved to be too severe. Four days later, on June 10, 2016, Richard Young succumbed to his wounds and passed away. He was remembered as a father, leaving behind a child.
In the weeks that followed the shooting, law enforcement conducted a quiet but thorough investigation. The Golden Valley County Sheriff's Office, along with the state Bureau of Criminal Investigation, pieced together the events of that fateful night. Their investigation led to the arrest of Gabriel Alexander Castro. On June 24, 2016, Castro was formally charged with Class AA felony murder. Details that emerged from court documents indicated a grim picture of the incident's aftermath. Castro was also accused of attempting to cover up his involvement by altering the firearm and removing items that might have held fingerprints, leading to additional charges of hindering law enforcement and providing false information to an officer.
Gabriel Alexander Castro made his initial court appearance and was held on a substantial $500,000 bond at the Southwest Multi-County Correctional Center in Dickinson. The gravity of the murder charge meant that if convicted, he could face a sentence of life in prison. The event was a rarity for the small town of Beach, with the local mayor noting that it had been decades since a murder charge had been filed in the community, leaving residents in a state of shock and quiet contemplation as the legal process began to unfold.
