▁Sh arp . ▁Kn own ▁as ▁a ▁violent ▁man , ▁he ▁had ▁both ▁political ▁and ▁personal ▁motiv ation ▁for ▁the ▁crime . ▁He ▁was ▁cleared ▁of ▁susp icion ▁when ▁investig ators ▁learned ▁that , ▁at ▁the ▁time ▁of ▁the ▁murder , ▁War ing ▁was ▁in ▁F ay ette ▁County ▁recover ing ▁from ▁un related ▁inj uries . ▁ ▁Sus p icion ▁moved ▁to ▁Be auch amp , ▁as ▁he ▁was ▁loyal ▁to ▁the ▁Old ▁Court ▁Party , ▁and ▁was ▁known ▁to ▁hate ▁Sh arp ▁for ▁his ▁political ▁principles . ▁People ▁knew ▁of ▁Sh arp ' s ▁earlier ▁alleg ed ▁invol vement ▁with ▁Anna ▁Co oke ▁before ▁her ▁marriage ▁to ▁Be auch amp . ▁Wit ness es ▁placed ▁Be auch amp ▁in ▁Frank fort ▁the ▁night ▁of ▁the ▁killing , ▁and ▁his ▁host , ▁Jo el ▁Scott , ▁said ▁that ▁he ▁had ▁heard ▁Be auch amp ▁leave ▁the ▁house ▁during ▁the ▁night . ▁After ▁present ing ▁pre lim inary ▁testim ony , ▁Commonwealth ' s ▁Att orney ▁Charles ▁Bib b ▁asked ▁for ▁additional ▁time ▁to ▁assemble ▁more ▁witness es . ▁Be auch amp ▁ass ented ▁to ▁the ▁request . ▁A ▁second ▁delay ▁pushed ▁the ▁hear ings ▁back ▁to ▁mid - Dec ember . ▁ ▁The ▁d agger ▁taken ▁from ▁Be auch amp ▁at ▁his ▁arrest ▁did ▁not ▁match ▁the ▁w ound ▁on ▁Sh arp ' s ▁body . ▁( In ▁his ▁Conf ession , ▁Be auch amp ▁claimed ▁to ▁have ▁buried ▁the ▁murder ▁weapon ▁by ▁the ▁bank ▁of ▁the ▁river ▁near ▁where ▁the ▁murder