Investigators say a friend tried to calm Robert Worthington hours before Craig Beeth was killed.

PINELLAS PARK, Fla. — A Clearwater man who sent a friend messages saying he felt homicidal and suicidal later shot another man inside a Pinellas Park auto shop, killing him, according to investigators and a criminal complaint filed in Pinellas County.

Robert Leon Worthington, 44, is charged with first-degree murder in the June 5 death of Craig Allan Beeth, 50, of St. Petersburg. The case centers on a chain of text messages, a friend’s attempt to intervene and surveillance video that authorities say recorded the confrontation. Worthington remained in the Pinellas County Jail without a listed bond as the homicide investigation continued.

The messages began during the early morning hours of June 5, when Worthington told a friend that he was losing control, according to the complaint affidavit. He wrote that he was “going crazy” and had returned to get his gun. When the friend asked where he was, Worthington said he did not know what to do and described himself as homicidal and suicidal. He also said he should not be around people because he had never felt that way before. Worthington linked his distress to problems in his personal life, according to investigators. In one message, he said he had no job or insurance and could not see a doctor. He also wrote that he no longer knew who he was. The friend continued trying to learn Worthington’s location and persuade him to meet somewhere, the affidavit said.

Worthington initially resisted the invitation. He wrote that he could not be in public and said the walls were closing in on him, according to the affidavit. Within about 20 minutes, however, the friend called and texted Worthington with a plan to meet at a shop in the 6600 block of 69th Avenue North. The friend later told investigators that he wanted to calm Worthington down. Authorities have not publicly identified the friend or explained his connection to the business. Worthington eventually arrived at the shop, where Beeth was also present. Investigators have not disclosed when Beeth arrived, whether he had seen the earlier messages or what relationship existed among the three men. The public court account also does not explain what happened during the hours between Worthington’s arrival and the fatal encounter.

Deputies were sent to the business at about 4:44 a.m. after someone reported hearing a gunshot. The Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office said the circumstances led deputies to force their way into the building. They found Beeth lying on the shop floor with a gunshot wound to his head. The affidavit described a large pool of blood around his head and a single spent .45-caliber cartridge casing nearby. Investigators also reported finding a square mirrored tray, two cut straws, a razor blade and a white powder inside the business. Authorities have not announced laboratory results for the powder or said whether those items played any role in the confrontation. Beeth was pronounced dead at the scene. His relatives had been notified by the time the sheriff’s office announced Worthington’s arrest.

The friend told investigators that he had been sleeping in the shop’s office area when the gunshot woke him. He went into the work area and found Beeth on the floor, according to the complaint. That account placed the friend nearby but apparently outside the immediate confrontation. Detectives then reviewed surveillance footage from inside the business. The video showed Worthington and Beeth leaving the office area as Worthington held a handgun and pointed it toward Beeth, investigators said. Beeth appeared to retreat, raise his hands defensively and try to disengage. The encounter moved into the repair section of the shop. Detectives said Worthington then extended his right arm toward Beeth’s head. The footage showed smoke coming from the gun’s muzzle at the same moment Beeth fell, according to the affidavit.

The video description provides the clearest public account of the final moments, but it leaves major questions unanswered. Investigators have not disclosed what the men said to each other, what started their argument or whether the encounter began over Worthington’s personal problems. The sheriff’s office said Worthington was distraught and that the men argued before the shooting. The complaint also refers to a physical altercation, although the public account does not detail who first made physical contact or how long the struggle lasted. No second shot was reported, and authorities have not identified any other weapon. The available records do not say whether Beeth knew Worthington had a gun before it was pointed at him. They also do not say whether anyone attempted to take the weapon away.

Worthington left the business before deputies arrived, the sheriff’s office said. Detectives with the agency’s Robbery and Homicide Unit took over the investigation and identified him as the suspected shooter. He was arrested the following afternoon, June 6, and booked at 4:34 p.m., according to the jail record. The booking report lists Worthington as a transient with a St. Petersburg mailing location and describes the allegation as first-degree murder, also labeled capital murder in the jail system. The report shows no bond amount and lists the charge as awaiting trial. An arrest and criminal charge are accusations, and prosecutors must prove the case in court. No public record cited by investigators indicates that Worthington has entered a plea.

A first-degree murder case generally requires prosecutors to establish the form of intent alleged under Florida law. The sheriff’s office has not publicly explained why detectives selected that charge rather than a lesser homicide count. Surveillance footage, the messages, the firearm evidence and witness statements could all become central as prosecutors assess the accusation. Defense attorneys may examine the complete recording, the sequence before the shooting, Worthington’s statements and his mental condition. The messages document severe distress, but the publicly released accounts do not include a medical diagnosis, treatment history or formal mental health evaluation. They also do not establish how any claimed condition might affect criminal responsibility. Those questions would require further evidence and court rulings.

The attempted intervention is an unusual part of the timeline. Worthington’s friend did not ignore the messages, according to the affidavit. He kept responding, asked where Worthington was and invited him to a familiar location in an effort to settle him. The plan placed Worthington near other people despite his warning that he believed it was not good for him to be around anyone. Authorities have not accused the friend of wrongdoing, and nothing in the released record indicates that he expected a shooting. The affidavit instead presents him as a witness who tried to help and later awoke to the sound of the gun. Investigators have not said whether the friend knew Worthington would bring the firearm he had mentioned in his messages.

Beeth’s role in the events before the confrontation remains less clear. The sheriff’s office identified him as a St. Petersburg resident and said he was inside the business with Worthington. The affidavit’s account of the video says Beeth tried to back away and used defensive gestures as the gun was pointed toward him. Authorities have not publicly described Beeth’s work, his reason for being at the shop before dawn or his relationship with Worthington. No statement from his family was included in the sheriff’s announcement. The agency released his full name and age after his next of kin had been notified. The case record identifies him as the victim and says he died from the single gunshot to his head.

The sheriff’s office said the investigation remained active after the arrest. Detectives could continue interviewing witnesses, analyzing the white powder, examining the gun and cartridge casing, and collecting the full set of electronic messages. Prosecutors would then decide how to proceed with the first-degree murder allegation through formal filings and court hearings. A future hearing could address legal representation, discovery and the scheduling of the case. The publicly available accounts did not list Worthington’s next court date or identify an attorney speaking on his behalf.

Worthington remained accused of killing Beeth after an effort to calm him brought the men together at the shop. The next public milestones are expected to come through the Pinellas County court case and any additional findings released by homicide detectives.

Author note: Last updated July 11, 2026.