Man found on Oklahoma highway admits to woman’s murder, police report

A regular welfare check in Oklahoma led to a surprising development in a murder case.

According to officials, a man sitting along the side of an interstate highway near Oklahoma City admitted to the murder of Jennifer Kyli Molloy, a 19-year-old, back in 2016.

Joseph Beck made the confession to a state trooper, who was performing the welfare check on Thursday (May 2) after an onlooker reported seeing a man sitting near an exit off I-40, according to Oklahoma Highway Patrol.

The officer escorted Beck to the Edmond Police Department, the initial entity probing Molloy's death.

After further investigation, the 28-year-old was detained, leading to a charge of first-degree murder.

Documentation reveals that Beck was confined within the Oklahoma County Detention Center on Friday (May 3), with his detention continuing through to Monday (May 6) morning.

Oklahoma Highway Patrol said they "hope this ultimately ends in answers for an Oklahoma family."

Molloy was found dead in her apartment in Edmond, about 15 miles north of Oklahoma City, on October 5, 2016.

The Edmond police characterised her death as suspicious and said the investigation into what happened to her turned up several leads over the years, but no arrests had previously been made.

The CBS affiliate KWTV disclosed Beck's confession of choking Molloy to death.

Edmond law enforcement informed the station that Beck emerged as the main person of interest in the previously unsolved case after he disclosed specifics about the homicide.

In a conversation with detectives, Beck disclosed that he and Molloy were colleagues and also admitted to having feelings for her, as per KWTV's reports.

Prior to the murder, Beck recounted visiting Molloy's residence with an intent to harm her and experienced rage when she requested him to depart. Following this, he confessed, he killed her.

Johnny Molloy, the victim's father, said he was shocked and angry when he learned about Beck's confession, but the arrest also brought some closure.

"I've been waiting on this for a long time and I never really thought it would happen," he said.

(With inputs from agencies)