Cst. Beard was the night watchman for the Town of Napanee. While on his usual patrol of the town he found someone attempting to break into the rear of a merchant’ s store on Dundas Street. He walked down the alley and came upon three suspects lurking in the shadows. A shot was heard and upon the inspection of the alley by members of the public they found Richard dead from a gunshot. His weapon still in the holster. A few months later Kingston Police arrested three brothers for a string of drug store robberies and the wounding of one of their officers. They were later tried and convicted of the murder of Constable Beard.