Police have suspects in Boyle death

Commonwealth’s Attorney Richie Bottoms said Thursday there are suspects in the death of the 27-year-old Richmond man, Michael Dean Begley Jr., whose body was found Nov. 25 along Taylor Road in Boyle County. Bottoms’ office plans to take the case before a grand jury on Dec. 21.
“Yes, I can say there are suspects in the case,” Bottoms said.
Kentucky State Police Detective Rodney Wren has completed a “death investigation,” according to Trooper Paul Blanton, public affairs officer at the Richmond post.
Bottoms had not seen the complete report on Thursday but said, “I’ve talked to Wren more than once and am up to date.”
The body was found lying along Taylor Road east of Danville before dawn the day after Thanksgiving after a motorist alerted authorities. Begley was carrying no identification, but fingerprints were used to determine his identity.  
Begley’s fingerprints were on file as part of his arrest record. Jennifer Taylor, public information officer for the Fayette County Department of Corrections, said Begley had been released from his third incarceration this year just four days before his death.
Begley’s mother, Anna Begley of Richmond, said her son’s most recent arrest resulted from him violating a protective order involving a Danville woman.
Anna Begley said she and her son were close, even calling him “a momma’s boy,” but said they disagreed about his significantly older girlfriend.
Anna Begley said her son called her twice between the time he was released from jail and the time he died. She says she still has a recording and has given it to KSP.¿In the second call, he told her he loved her and that he would see her for Thanksgiving, she said.
“When he didn’t show up or call Thursday, I called Fayette County to see if they had picked him up again … but they didn’t,” she said.
Autopsy results, according to KSP, confirmed Begley had been assaulted prior to his death, but no official cause of death has been released.
Begley’s sister, Heather Horn, drove in from northern Indiana with her family to help with funeral arrangements. She says she spoke on Dec. 3 with Boyle County Coroner Don Hamner and asked about the cause of death. “He said he was waiting for toxicology reports,” she said.
Horn said her brother had $18 in his pocket when the body was found. “I guess we can rule out robbery,” she said.
Begley was buried Wednesday in Richmond.