Clifford Beltran (b. 14 Mar 1934; d. 1 April 1992) was a homicide detective with the Sarasota County Sheriff's Department. He was a volunteer with an organization known as Best Pals. Evidence uncovered by Jack McEvoy suggests Beltran molested a boy named William Gladden who he worked with in Best Pals.
In April of 1992, he was murdered by a shotgun blast to the head, but in a way that appeared to be suicide. The killer was presumed to have been the serial killer known as the Poet, with the words "Lord help my poor soul" (Edgar Allan Poe's alleged final words) left as his supposed note. However, other evidence suggests that his killer was Gladden.
Appearances[]
- The Poet (mentioned)