Daniel Ryan Clark, 41, from Arvada, Colorado, was sentenced to 10 years in prison on February 11, 2026, after pleading guilty to tampering with a deceased human body. He admitted to placing Chelsea Beadles’ remains in a plastic tote bin near a dumpster at The Perch on 52nd apartment complex but denied killing her, citing drug use and memory loss.
Incident Overview
On September 15, 2025, a maintenance worker discovered 29-year-old Chelsea Beadles’ partially unclothed body, weighing 111 pounds with numerous injuries, inside the tote covered in bedding. Cell phone and Facebook records placed Clark with her hours before her death, and evidence linked him to the tote and bedding.
Charges and Sentencing
Prosecutors charged Clark with tampering with a deceased human body (4-12 year range) and tampering with physical evidence, but dismissed the latter in a plea deal stipulating 10 years plus 3 years parole; no murder charges were filed due to the coroner’s “undetermined” cause and manner of death, despite possible trauma. Jefferson County Judge Megan Miloud imposed the sentence, with Chief Deputy DA Brenna Zortman apologizing to Beadles’ family for the lack of closure.
Victim and Family Impact
Beadles’ mother called her a “sweet soul” and grieved the indignity of collecting her from “the trash,” highlighting no parent should endure that. Clark claimed to investigators that Beadles left his apartment after a phone argument but offered no clear explanation for her death.
