TX - Terri 'Missy' Bevers, 45, killed in church/suspect in SWAT gear, Midlothian, 18 Apr 2016 #45

[Gumshoe Stories]

"We never see the perp exit the auditorium. We only see the perp enter the auditorium." -- That's according to your view, but that doesn't have to be the case. Perp enters at SW, and exits at SE (in the scene in question, from what it appears to me). Simple as that.

If you ASSUME that isn't showing the SE corner of the auditorium, then you've already assumed the answer. But what you are assuming must be questioned by what we know - and that assumption doesn't fit what the video looks like to me (nor the room numbers, either, which to me is an important fact to observe and account for).

The attached photo was taken at the NE corner of the building, looking southward down the East hallway. Room 10 is on the left, room number displayed. Just out of frame on the right is room 9. Notice the lack of other rooms down that wall on the right. That is because that wall has the auditorium stage on the other side of it. So that hallway only has one room at either end on that side - room 9 at the northern end and room 14 at the southern end.

 

[SteveS]

That picture is helpful. Thank you.

 

[SandyQLS]

The sloppiness of the wanderings always bugged me, but maybe the perp wasn't as sloppy as initially seemed.

jmo

Just another opinion... I think the SP was moving in a steady, dedicated manner - not wandering, not sloppy. It would not surprise me if they counted their steps, or the floor tiles, or wall seams. I think SP is merely staging a burglary for theft and makes useless efforts toward locked doors for show. But, whenever SP encounters an unlocked door, he opens it, enters the room, then exits - leaving the door OPEN. See the split door in video 1:22+

If someone believes this was a burglary gone bad, then SP leaves the doors open so he knows he has already checked there. If someone sees a targeted murder, the SP is looking for adjoining room doors for potential escape attempts by MB or for himself if caught.

I see a SP who is extremely concerned about not getting caught. I think his purpose with the "Police" tags is to bluff a camper or security or even police just long enough to escape if he is confronted on the premises. So in that same mindset, I see SP's movements in the interior as dedicated, knowing all possible avenues to escape the building, or hide within; and also where MB could run to and hide if SP were temporarily disabled by MB for example if she kicked him or had pepper spray.

 

[SteveS]

It's interesting that we only have videos from 2 opposite corners of the building - the NE and SW. Creates the question of:

1 Did CC have far fewer cams (and coverage) in their system than we have thought?
2 Did they have lots of internal cams that were not working, or fail to trigger easily leaving massive blind spots?
3 Is there a roomful of footage we haven't seen?

At least one of those must be true.

 

[Gumshoe Stories]

It's interesting that we only have videos from 2 opposite corners of the building - the NE and SW. Creates the question of:

1 Did CC have far fewer cams (and coverage) in their system than we have thought?
2 Did they have lots of internal cams that were not working, or fail to trigger easily leaving massive blind spots?
3 Is there a roomful of footage we haven't seen?

At least one of those must be true.

There were definitely cameras at the other corners, so #1 is out. In the footage we have, We got our best view of the killer as they approached the camera above the awning entrance. There should be similar footage from other corner cameras that would catch the killer fairly close up.

 

[Inthedetails]

Just another opinion... I think the SP was moving in a steady, dedicated manner - not wandering, not sloppy. It would not surprise me if they counted their steps, or the floor tiles, or wall seams. I think SP is merely staging a burglary for theft and makes useless efforts toward locked doors for show. But, whenever SP encounters an unlocked door, he opens it, enters the room, then exits - leaving the door OPEN. See the split door in video 1:22+

If someone believes this was a burglary gone bad, then SP leaves the doors open so he knows he has already checked there. If someone sees a targeted murder, the SP is looking for adjoining room doors for potential escape attempts by MB or for himself if caught.

I see a SP who is extremely concerned about not getting caught. I think his purpose with the "Police" tags is to bluff a camper or security or even police just long enough to escape if he is confronted on the premises. So in that same mindset, I see SP's movements in the interior as dedicated, knowing all possible avenues to escape the building, or hide within; and also where MB could run to and hide if SP were temporarily disabled by MB for example if she kicked him or had pepper spray.

I agree - I also now think the route and actions are deliberate. But initially, I did not think so and thought they looked random and haphazard. I've changed my mind after seeing the sequence Gumshoe Stories posted tonight. I have a different opinion of SwatPerp now.

jmo

 

[SteveS]

It's interesting that we only have videos from 2 opposite corners of the building - the NE and SW. Creates the question of:

1 Did CC have far fewer cams (and coverage) in their system than we have thought?
2 Did they have lots of internal cams that were not working, or fail to trigger easily leaving massive blind spots?
3 Is there a roomful of footage we haven't seen?

At least one of those must be true.

 

[Tippy Lynn]

I like the discussion going on in here - thanks everyone!!!

 

[Satchie]

I think that MPD sorted the footage in camera order. So the camera that points eastward along the south hallway had both of its scenes edited back to back, which is not how they chronologically happened. Take a look at my own edit in which I put the video in correct chronological order:

I agree, you can see the camera recording jumps and SP is coming back to the auditorium door from somewhere farther down the hallway. And why would LE fool around with editing clips to create an accurate time sequence?

What interests me is SP doesn't even seem to glance at, much less move to check the SW bathrooms area marked on your plan. Like maybe already knew they were there?

 

[Satchie]

Here is a video I took at night, driving into the church and making the right turn.

Thanks, I was specifically curious about what campers would see through the door, which you show at the end. Looking at that view, it's hard to imagine they couldn't see MB and broken glass, so where would that have been? Wish I didn't feel such a compulsion to answer these questions.

 

[Inthedetails]

What interests me is SP doesn't even seem to glance at, much less move to check the SW bathrooms area marked on your plan. Like maybe already knew they were there?

Good point! Certainly looks like SP had studied a floor plan and/or had been inside before.

I've been thinking about the methodological approach of SP's stroll around the building. Who would know to work first the outer rooms then circle back to the inner rooms?

Brainstorming, guesses:
* Law enforcement. (I don't think SP is LE, FWIW.)
* Security - might not be a cop, but could be a mall cop or something similar.
* Someone who is trained at work to clear a building - like teachers/staff in a school after a fire or shooter drill. Often businesses will assign employees for that task as well.
* Firefighters.
* Prison guards? Or prisoners who observed the practice.
* Military.
* Experienced criminals.
* Gamer? I don't play games so I could be off, forgive me. But is that movement ever part of video games?
* Someone naturally organized?! (I do love organizing, but I wouldn't think of SP's method.)
* Someone who was directed by someone else who had the experience.

I'm really focusing here on the method, the organized way SP spent the time in the church.

If I had to guess from that list (and this is ALL guesswork, of course), I would pick the last item on the list. I think SP was instructed to do that. But I also think SP worked with someone on the crime so I'm biased in that direction.

Speculation only, subject to change at any moment. My perception of SP changed last night thanks to the video sequence, and I'm ready to change my mind again as we go along.

jmo

 

[Gumshoe Stories]

What interests me is SP doesn't even seem to glance at, much less move to check the SW bathrooms area marked on your plan. Like maybe already knew they were there?

Good observation. Maybe what the killer was doing was determining the function of each room and the contents of it. A bathroom being clearly marked would hold no interest.

From the same video clip, what interests me is something else that the killer isn’t looking at - the entrance. The camera is mounted right above the entrance. But the killer is looking in the opposite direction and showing interest in the weird slider door in front of Holy Grounds.

1. If you’re there to lie in wait for Missy, aren’t you going to show some interest in the entrance, exterior windows etc to be on the alert for your target to arrive? It’s right at 4 a.m. at this point. Missy has 4:30 early birds coming. She could be arriving any minute.

2. When the killer looks in the opposite direction of the camera, is it possible that they’re purposely turning their head away from the camera? Seconds before from door #1, they looked directly at the camera. Maybe they were less interested in Holy Grounds and more interested in the camera not getting a good look at their face as they pass by at the closest point?

 

[Inthedetails]

1. If you’re there to lie in wait for Missy, aren’t you going to show some interest in the entrance, exterior windows etc to be on the alert for your target to arrive? It’s right at 4 a.m. at this point. Missy has 4:30 early birds coming. She could be arriving any minute.

Snipped

That's one reason I think there was an accomplice.

Perhaps a look-out alerted SP when Missy left home or when she arrived at the church. Perhaps via walkie-talkie or some other signal.

I personally think a get-away driver was parked on the side of the building were Missy wouldn't see, but who could see Missy turn off the highway to the church. That would give enough time for SP to get in place.

jmo

 

[Mistree]

Try this layout.

In the layout you provided I’m reminded of fairly lengthy discussion we had in previous threads about the NE doors and possible exit after Missy was Murdered.
I do notice you have it listed as broken glass AND video from MPD I believe you have it listed as cameras 0-15?
2 questions,
1- do you know if this is in fact the exit SP left the building?
2- where on the video does it show this glass being broke out?
TIA

 

[SandyQLS]

Thanks, I was specifically curious about what campers would see through the door, which you show at the end. Looking at that view, it's hard to imagine they couldn't see MB and broken glass, so where would that have been? Wish I didn't feel such a compulsion to answer these questions.

I have been unable to access Gumshoe's floor plan. I did find two old ones in the media thread:

By arkansasmimi
TX - Terri 'Missy' Bevers, Dallas 18 Apr 2016 Media & Timeline *NO DISCUSSION*

By Jethro4WS
https://www.dropbox.com/s/f0oh27tlub58ta5/church layout.png?dl=0

iirc arkansasmimi discovered that there had been several remodels of the church, one significant one that moved walls and doors, and created one or two narrow passages to recessed doors.

On the corner between the main hallway and main entrance hallway, arkansasmimi shows a black rectangle and a recessed wall corner. Jethro4WS shows a freestanding vertical column and recessed corner. arkansasmimi had also been looking for a small passageway or hall in that area from a remodel.

Did SP hide right there, behind the column and/or in a recessed wall or small passageway avoiding the cameras? Prior threads speculation was that MB needed to walk down the main hall and turn left to the short main entry hall to perhaps switch on more lights or access a secondary alarm panel to turn off?

If so, how did SP know that MB would walk right past that corner? Was SP concerned that if MB fought back, maybe she could pull off the balaclava and reveal SP's face, so SP made sure the actual murder was not filmed? Did SP know in advance about this position, or did they wander the halls checking for camera ranges that morning?

SP = very calculating

 

[Gumshoe Stories]

In the layout you provided I’m reminded of fairly lengthy discussion we had in previous threads about the NE doors and possible exit after Missy was Murdered.
I do notice you have it listed as broken glass AND video from MPD I believe you have it listed as cameras 0-15?
2 questions,
1- do you know if this is in fact the exit SP left the building?
2- where on the video does it show this glass being broke out?
TIA

1. It isn’t known whether the killer left thru the NE Entrance. Police said early on that the killer left presumably the way they came in - which would have been thru the kitchen service door.

2. The only evidence we have of damage to the NE doors was the plywood being placed at that entrance. See attached. And we don’t know whether the glass was broken out or broken in.

 

[Gumshoe Stories]

I have been unable to access Gumshoe's floor plan. I did find two old ones in the media thread:

By arkansasmimi
TX - Terri 'Missy' Bevers, Dallas 18 Apr 2016 Media & Timeline *NO DISCUSSION*

By Jethro4WS
https://www.dropbox.com/s/f0oh27tlub58ta5/church layout.png?dl=0

iirc arkansasmimi discovered that there had been several remodels of the church, one significant one that moved walls and doors, and created one or two narrow passages to recessed doors.

On the corner between the main hallway and main entrance hallway, arkansasmimi shows a black rectangle and a recessed wall corner. Jethro4WS shows a vertical column. arkansasmimi had also been looking for a small passageway or hall in that area from a remodel.

Did SP hide right there, behind the column and/or in a recessed wall or small passageway avoiding the cameras? Prior threads speculation was that MB needed to walk down the main hall and turn left to the short main entry hall to perhaps switch on more lights or access a secondary alarm panel to turn off?

If so, how did SP know that MB would walk right past that corner? Was SP concerned that if MB fought back, maybe she could pull off the balaclava and reveal SP's face, so SP made sure the actual murder was not filmed? Did SP know in advance about this position, or did they wander the halls checking for camera ranges that morning?

SP = very calculating

Those early layouts were a good start. However, there were a lot of holes and quite a few inaccuracies. The layout I have provided is, to the best of my knowledge, 100% accurate.

There has been no remodel to the church. No new rooms, no moving of walls, nothing that would alter the floor plan.

See if you can open this, SandyQLS. It’s a PDF so you should be able to open it if you can open any other PDF. EDIT: @SandyQLS, I’ve also included a PNG of it. And this version is a clean format without all the labeling that is on the other one.

 

[Mistree]

1. It isn’t known whether the killer left thru the NE Entrance. Police said early on that the killer left presumably the way they came in - which would have been thru the kitchen service door.

2. The only evidence we have of damage to the NE doors was the plywood being placed at that entrance. See attached. And we don’t know whether the glass was broken out or broken in.

Thank you !

 

[Gumshoe Stories]

On the corner between the main hallway and main entrance hallway, arkansasmimi shows a black rectangle and a recessed wall corner. Jethro4WS shows a freestanding vertical column and recessed corner. arkansasmimi had also been looking for a small passageway or hall in that area from a remodel.

Did SP hide right there, behind the column and/or in a recessed wall or small passageway avoiding the cameras? Prior threads speculation was that MB needed to walk down the main hall and turn left to the short main entry hall to perhaps switch on more lights or access a secondary alarm panel to turn off?

Snipped. I’ve attached a photo showing the corner you’re speaking of. There is a vertical column there and a small chair or maybe that’s a table. Someone could hide out of sight there (not saying anyone did). And there is an alcove leading to a door to Cub Corner which could be a hiding place too.

 

[Deleted member 102539]

Found on Twitter:

CrimeCon 2021 is on in Austin 6/4-6/6.

Maybe, the Swat Gear perp is there as a visitor sometime?