Larry Lee Warren Varnell, 21, of Churdan changed his plea to guilty Jan. 13 to a Boone County charge of providing alcohol to an under age person resulting in death. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for Feb. 27.
The charge followed an investigation of a one vehicle rollover accident Sept. 14 in which Varnell’s friend, Aaron Beaman, 20, of Jefferson was killed. Evidence at the scene suggested Beaman was drunk at the time of the accident.
An investigation by Heath Enns, who is a fulltime police officer in Jefferson and works part-time for the Boone County sheriff’s office, resulted in the charge against Varnell. Enns was the first officer on the scene at the accident, which occurred in the 600 block of L Ave northwest of Boone. He was assisted in the investigation by a State Patrol trooper.
Supplying alcohol to a minor resulting in death is a class D felony, punishable by up to five years in prison and a fine not less than $750 but not more than $7,500.
