DEER LODGE — A Montana man denied clemency for the 1979 beating death of a high-school classmate says the decision will not end his pursuit for freedom.
Barry Beach spoke to reporters at the Montana State Prison on Wednesday, hours after the state Board of Pardons and Parole rejected his fourth bid for clemency since 1994. That means he will continue to serve a 100-year prison sentence.
Beach adamantly denies killing 17-year-old Kim Nees in Poplar. He says he will now seek a new trial, even though it will likely be a long process.
Beach says he has lost his life in prison and he knows he could do something better if he is given the chance.
Beach was convicted of murder in 1984 with a confession he says was coerced by Louisiana law enforcement officers.