Granddaughter arrested on multiple charges relating to homicide

Amy Jo Mitchell, 33, of Fallbrook was arrested January 16 as a result of an investigation surrounding the death of her grandmother, Shirley Ann Beggs that occurred in August of 2008.

Mitchell was originally arrested September 4, 2008 and booked on a charge of Financial Abuse of an Elder. Sheriff’s deputies, conducting a welfare check, had discovered Beggs’ body in an apartment on Potter Street in a state of advanced decomposition. The San Diego County Medical Examiner’s Office determined the cause of Beggs’ death as ligature strangulation.

Two people of interest in the murder of Beggs were Mitchell and her longtime boyfriend and father of her children, Jeff Nolan. On September 9, 2008 Nolan was found deceased in his vehicle in Riverside County after a two day manhunt.

While the Riverside County Coroner’s Office has not officially released the exact cause of Nolen’s death, San Diego County authorities say it appears to have been suicide and no foul play was suspected.

“This is the type of case where time is on our side,” said Sergeant Roy Frank with the San Diego Sheriff’s Department. “We looked into the investigation and made the arrest.”

Frank said Mitchell was placed under arrest and charged with accessory to a felony, elder financial abuse, burglary, making a false report to a law enforcement officer, and possession of a controlled substance, all which were a result of the homicide investigation.

Mitchell turned herself in to the Sheriff’s station after investigators “could not eliminate” her as a murder suspect after watching her behavior and actions, said Frank.

The Sheriff department has turned over all follow up information to the San Diego District Attorney’s (DA’s) office, and Mitchell was scheduled to be arraigned on January 21. Frank believes the charges brought by the Sheriff will be applied in court.

“In these types of cases, the Sheriff’s Department takes a lot of responsibility for completing and putting together the fullest case possible,” said Frank. “We have worked hard on this, and we hope the DA sees that and is able to use that.”

Mitchell is currently housed at the Las Colinas Detention Center in Santee with bail set at $364,350.

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