Oklahoma man sentenced for choking and killing 19-year-old co-worker

EDMOND, Okla. (TCN) -- A 29-year-old man will spend the rest of his life behind bars for killing a teen co-worker almost a decade ago.

The Oklahoma County District Attorney's Office announced Sept. 17 that Joseph Beck received a life sentence without the possibility of parole in connection with the death of 19-year-old Kyli Molloy. Beck previously entered a guilty plea in June for first-degree murder.

According to a news release from the Edmond Police Department, Molloy was found deceased in her apartment in October 2016. Years later, on May 2, 2024, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol performed a welfare check on an individual, Beck, sitting on the side of a highway. Police said Beck began "voluntarily" telling a trooper about his involvement in a 2016 death, and he was taken into custody.

In a statement obtained by KOCO-TV, Emily Ward, who was with the Edmond Police Department at the time of the defendant's arrest, said, "It was voluntary; he wasn't trying to hold anything back. It seemed like he wanted to get everything off his chest. It could've been eating him up, or he was ready to get it off his chest."

Beck and Malloy reportedly worked at the same store, and he knew her from school. Allegedly, they began talking online, and Beck invited himself over to Malloy's home before he strangled and killed her.

In a statement, District Attorney Vicki Zemp Behenna said, "Often, justice takes time, but today we honor Kyli’s memory and recognize the profound loss felt by those who loved her. This case is a powerful reminder of the tireless work of law enforcement and prosecutors who never give up seeking justice for victims."

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