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BETHESDA, MD — A Bethesda millionaire twice convicted for the fiery death of a man who had been digging tunnels underneath his home wants an appeals court to strike down the conviction.
Daniel Beckwitt, 29, was found guilty of second-degree "depraved-heart" murder and involuntary manslaughter after a fire broke out and killed Askia Khafra. The 21-year-old man was hired to
dig an elaborate network of tunnels under the wealthy stock trader's home over fears of a bombing.
The tunnels branched out roughly 200 feet in length and had an air circulation system and a heater powered by a "haphazard daisy chain" of power strips that created a fire risk, Montgomery
County prosecutor Douglas Wink said at a 2018 hearing, according to The Associated Press. Shortly before the blaze broke out, Khafra texted Beckwitt to tell him it smelled like smoke in the
tunnels.
In reaching a decision, jurors concluded Beckwitt had acted with indifference to human life — which is why he was convicted of "depraved-heart" murder.
Eventually, the Maryland Special Court of Appeals overturned his conviction on the depraved-heart murder charge. Beckwitt's attorney had also asked the court to reconsider his involuntary
manslaughter conviction, but that motion was denied last month, according to WTOP.
Megan Coleman, who represents Beckwitt, now wants to appeal the judge's decision a second time.
According to WTOP, her appeal will be based on the fine points of jury instruction and what Beckwitt was obligated to do as Khafra's employer. The news outlet says Beckwitt will probably be
resentenced once the appeals process on the "depraved-heart" murder charge is over.