TX - Terri 'Missy' Bevers, 45, killed in church/suspect in SWAT gear, Midlothian, 18 Apr 2016 #47

[No it's not]

SHOE SIZE CORRECTION

The tiles (tile pattern) at the church were remeasured (thank you GS). My measurements were correct on the small 3" wide side pieces of the tile pattern. With the larger inner piece I was about 2-3 inches off. I initially calculated a 13" shoe, which will shrink now by 2-3 inches. These are estimates only based on the new measurements. Perhaps GS can chime in with the exact measurements.
The cams are more than tricky, when it comes to calculations. Add to it pixels, lines/ blurry images, color bleeds and we have a nightmare. No wonder that the agencies remeasured every single item seen in the church video.

ALL IMO

-Nin

 

[TheGardener]

The idea that the perp's gait indicated they must have been somehow impaired, disabled, or in lousy shape isn't necessarily so. It may have simply been how they always walked naturally.

I am reminded of a player for the Dallas Cowboys in the 1980's, Everson Walls (#24), who was extremely splay footed. He certainly wasn't impaired -- he was a star.

Its a good thing an athlete with Everson's skills wasn't the perp. The early morning exercisers might have been obliterated too.
From what I've read, the condition causes everything from flat feet to slippage of the cartilage on the femoral ball, a painful and debilitating situation. The spectrum of disability is different from person to person, but it is still considered an abnormality. I guess that's why LE has engaged the services of a forensic podiatrist. In the end, that strange gait has a cause, might have required treatment at some time in the murderer's life, and is distinguishing enough to be a helpful clue toward the person's identity.
Its also possible that Everson has had specific physical training to address the condition and overcome it.
You still noticed Everson's distinguishing gait.
Truthfully, my concern with gait is a mixed bag. How does having a condition that makes you noticeably, physically different from your peers affect your psychology? I personally know someone on the autism spectrum whose distinguishing gait had them the object of bullying and ridicule throughout their school years. Ostracism, loneliness and depression followed.
I'm simply wondering what may have factored into a person's becoming a lone wolf, self-ordained SWAT team, who breaks into churches and murders exercise instructors in the wee hours of the morning.
Try running the security video at the lowest frame rate possible on YouTube. Long strides. Fascinating.

BTW...thanks for the info on Everson. I appreciate it.

 

[Gumshoe Stories]

I have mentioned this before but it may bear repeating. The duck-footed walk is not rare. There are plenty of people who walk that way who are not debilitated in any way. Search on YouTube for “people walking” and you will find numerous examples where a person has a GoPro capturing throngs of people walking along. Watch the feet.

I believe LE made an error in focusing so much on the “walk”. I think they did this because they were getting tips about BWH and CT, and they thought that publicly identifying the walk would put more pressure on their POIs.

It really seems as if that tactic was more on the part of the FBI than MPD. It was the feds who were working with the podiatrist, not MPD. And even they stopped working with him after those first several months.

Take a look at the work BatBrat did on this, and see what you think about the walk. I have a copy of it here:

Dropbox - Perp gradual walking away.mp4 - Simplify your life

 

[TheGardener]

I have mentioned this before but it may bear repeating. The duck-footed walk is not rare. There are plenty of people who walk that way who are not debilitated in any way. Search on YouTube for “people walking” and you will find numerous examples where a person has a GoPro capturing throngs of people walking along. Watch the feet.

I believe LE made an error in focusing so much on the “walk”. I think they did this because they were getting tips about BWH and CT, and they thought that publicly identifying the walk would put more pressure on their POIs.

It really seems as if that tactic was more on the part of the FBI than MPD. It was the feds who were working with the podiatrist, not MPD. And even they stopped working with him after those first several months.

Take a look at the work BatBrat did on this, and see what you think about the walk. I have a copy of it here:

Dropbox - Perp gradual walking away.mp4 - Simplify your life

I'm not saying that femoral retroversion is rare and is THE foremost clue to identifying the killer. It is an anomaly distinguishable enough from what is considered a "normal" gait to be categorized as a condition requiring treatment to a greater or lesser degree. It is a small part of the overall picture. A thread.
Truthfully, I'm more concerned with behavior.
I'm interested to know what, if any, clues or observations you find worthy of consideration toward the solving of this case.
Thank you for your insight.

 

[Gumshoe Stories]

I'm not saying that femoral retroversion is rare and is THE foremost clue to identifying the killer. It is an anomaly distinguishable enough from what is considered a "normal" gait to be categorized as a condition requiring treatment to a greater or lesser degree. It is a small part of the overall picture. A thread.
Truthfully, I'm more concerned with behavior.
I'm interested to know what, if any, clues or observations you find worthy of consideration toward the solving of this case.
Thank you for your insight.

I think most people who walk duck-footed are fairly oblivious to the fact that they walk that way. As long as they aren’t limping or in pain, I think the vast majority are never going to seek treatment. I look at this person on the video and I don’t see anything there that affects their quality of life.

As far as clues or observations... I continue to lean toward this being an Untargeted attack resulting from an interrupted burglary. I think the best hope of solving it lies with forensics. We need to hope they have DNA. This person isn’t talking, either because they’re a loner along the lines of the Golden State Killer, or because they’re dead.

 

[TheGardener]

I think most people who walk duck-footed are fairly oblivious to the fact that they walk that way. As long as they aren’t limping or in pain, I think the vast majority are never going to seek treatment. I look at this person on the video and I don’t see anything there that affects their quality of life.

As far as clues or observations... I continue to lean toward this being an Untargeted attack resulting from an interrupted burglary. I think the best hope of solving it lies with forensics. We need to hope they have DNA. This person isn’t talking, either because they’re a loner along the lines of the Golden State Killer, or because they’re dead.

I see. Thank you.

 

[TheGardener]

I just don't believe this is a burglary. Whether this person limps along like Tiny Tim or vaults like Nureyev, they're still strolling non-nonchalantly around God's own house in the a.m., busting the occasional window, peeking into rooms, dressed as some faux authority figure with no swag had before or after this awful murder.

I'm 70 and sad to confess that I've known burglars over the years. I think many of us have known a few guys who bragged up their exploits, served their time and learned their lessons. To my recollection, not one of them described a prolonged, casual stroll through their crime scene. They got in. They ran around looking for something to steal. They robbed if there was something to rob. When there wasn't something to rob, they left as quickly as possible. All of it was done at top speed. None of that here.

So, with nothing in his/her kick, he/she murders a woman who can't identify him/her for witnessing them strolling around in the church before opening hours? This anonymous character has chosen to murder someone who cannot identify them for something as menial as trespassing? A misdemeanor, a fine, 2 weeks in jail - even if he/she was identifiable. We would have to believe that in their mind this "burglar" was dumb enough to swap a possible misdemeanor trespass charge and a fine...for life in prison, no parole - knowing they were unidentifiable from the getgo. All they would have to do is say "Am I early for exercise class?", back off and head back to the parking lot. No harm. No foul. Close call. Prosecutors and attorneys laugh about those kinds of Mickey Mouse cases. Plead out, pay the ticket, serve your 14 days.

This intruder, if NOT there specifically to kill MS, chose to risk a life sentence without parole or the death penalty - for an unprosecutable trespass charge? Whoever did this was willing to take that deadly risk for reasons other than mere trespass or B&E.

 

[alwaysonmymind]

I’ve wondered if the SP was drunk.
Maybe that’s why they walked that way ? moo

 

[Gumshoe Stories]

I just don't believe this is a burglary. Whether this person limps along like Tiny Tim or vaults like Nureyev, they're still strolling non-nonchalantly around God's own house in the a.m., busting the occasional window, peeking into rooms, dressed as some faux authority figure with no swag had before or after this awful murder.

I'm 70 and sad to confess that I've known burglars over the years. I think many of us have known a few guys who bragged up their exploits, served their time and learned their lessons. To my recollection, not one of them described a prolonged, casual stroll through their crime scene. They got in. They ran around looking for something to steal. They robbed if there was something to rob. When there wasn't something to rob, they left as quickly as possible. All of it was done at top speed. None of that here.

So, with nothing in his/her kick, he/she murders a woman who can't identify him/her for witnessing them strolling around in the church before opening hours? This anonymous character has chosen to murder someone who cannot identify them for something as menial as trespassing? A misdemeanor, a fine, 2 weeks in jail - even if he/she was identifiable. We would have to believe that in their mind this "burglar" was dumb enough to swap a possible misdemeanor trespass charge and a fine...for life in prison, no parole - knowing they were unidentifiable from the getgo. All they would have to do is say "Am I early for exercise class?", back off and head back to the parking lot. No harm. No foul. Close call.

This intruder, if NOT there specifically to kill MS, chose to risk a life sentence, without parole for an unprosecutable trespass charge?

The argument you’re making is not a novel one. In fact, it comes up so often, Ive named it the Criminal’s Mental Checklist Of Potential Statutory Consequences If I Do This Spur Of The Moment Thing.

There isn’t a criminal alive who stops while in the heat of the moment to think about what “the law” is going to do to him if he escalates. These are incredibly tense moments and things happen in the blink of an eye. A nervous twitch and a trigger is squeezed without intention. I told a story in the previous thread of police in a training exercise who were asked to play the role of the criminals holding up an armored car. 50% of the time, they killed the hostage inadvertently, without forming the intention to do so. It just happens. Criminals don’t freeze time so that they can go over their checklist of what happens if I do A here, or what happens if I do B here.

But for some reason, people continue to hold onto this argument that the fact that SP killed Missy must mean that he INTENDED to kill Missy all along. That is not a logical argument. Sorry, but criminals are dumb. They are. We make a mistake if we think that when it comes down to brass tacks, they will all of a sudden make good sound decisions when they’ve made the opposite ones up to that point.

And if you think that the killer acting casual means they’re not really a burglar, how do you think that logic holds up if they were targeting Missy and expecting her imminent arrival? Aren’t you the one who has pegged this as a cosplayer who intends to murder? Yet you yourself say that the person has “no swag”. Well, exactly. They’re not there to BEHAVE like a tactical officer. If they were, you’d see them playing out the typical “clearing of a room” with gun drawn. But there is none of that. They’re just wanting to have the costume on to hide their appearance. So, there is nothing about this person’s behavior to indicate either that they are cosplaying or that they are gearing up for murder. And there is absolutely no reason for them to be quickly in and out of the church because in their mind, they have hours to spare.

 

[SteveS]

I just don't believe this is a burglary. Whether this person limps along like Tiny Tim or vaults like Nureyev, they're still strolling non-nonchalantly around God's own house in the a.m., busting the occasional window, peeking into rooms, dressed as some faux authority figure with no swag had before or after this awful murder.

I'm 70 and sad to confess that I've known burglars over the years. I think many of us have known a few guys who bragged up their exploits, served their time and learned their lessons. To my recollection, not one of them described a prolonged, casual stroll through their crime scene. They got in. They ran around looking for something to steal. They robbed if there was something to rob. When there wasn't something to rob, they left as quickly as possible. All of it was done at top speed. None of that here.

So, with nothing in his/her kick, he/she murders a woman who can't identify him/her for witnessing them strolling around in the church before opening hours? This anonymous character has chosen to murder someone who cannot identify them for something as menial as trespassing? A misdemeanor, a fine, 2 weeks in jail - even if he/she was identifiable. We would have to believe that in their mind this "burglar" was dumb enough to swap a possible misdemeanor trespass charge and a fine...for life in prison, no parole - knowing they were unidentifiable from the getgo. All they would have to do is say "Am I early for exercise class?", back off and head back to the parking lot. No harm. No foul. Close call. Prosecutors and attorneys laugh about those kinds of Mickey Mouse cases. Plead out, pay the ticket, serve your 14 days.

This intruder, if NOT there specifically to kill MS, chose to risk a life sentence without parole or the death penalty - for an unprosecutable trespass charge? Whoever did this was willing to take that deadly risk for reasons other than mere trespass or B&E.

Thanks for sharing your thinking. While I don't quite buy all of your points, you could be on track because your explanations do make sense using certain assumptions.

"Why was the perp there" is impossible to know without knowing who did this first, of course.

But I tend to lean toward the church as the target for a reason that you think it wasn't, interestingly enough. I think the extended exploration of the premises was the perp "stalking his prey" looking for what to steal. It was obviously a room-to-room comprehensive methodical approach. As for why he wasn't in a major rush, if he thought he had 4-5 hours until the church opened and people came to work, why would he be? Moreover, in his process, I don't see him doing anything that looks especially like waiting for MB, or being focused at all on her arrival and entrance, and I see as he passes the SE corner he spends no time at all looking out the doors for someone coming, all of which are things I would expect if his target was the soon-to-arrive MB rather than the church.

 

[SteveS]

There isn’t a criminal alive who stops while in the heat of the moment to think about what “the law” is going to do to him if he escalates.

Wait, not a single criminal in the History of Ever thought about, or was deterred by, the consequences of escalating to a bigger crime with bigger penalties? While you make some good points, I think this is a MASSIVE overstatement.

In fact, the laws and the possible results for violations we have exist in large part to be a deterrent motivating people away from certain awful choices. While they don't ALWAYS succeed, I think they do work quite often. Both beforehand, and also in the moment. Sure, people can and do act rashly without thinking, but not always.

In the moment, sometimes it may all be reaction. But sometimes, it may not. That's why we have laws that say if you kill someone WHILE doing another crime, the penalties for the killing escalate, to motivate people to perhaps be one who thinks first and backs off from a worse noose.

 

[Gumshoe Stories]

Wait, not a single criminal in the History of Ever thought about, or was deterred by, the consequences of escalating to a bigger crime with bigger penalties? While you make some good points, I think this is a MASSIVE overstatement.

The context of this discussion wasn’t really about every conceivable criminal situation, ever. We are talking about a specific kind of situation in which a criminal is burglarizing a building and is suddenly confronted by someone they did not expect. The scenario being put forth is, “No self-respecting burglar who is only guilty of a misdemeanor is going to say, “Whoa, I can’t kill this lady. That would be felony murder punishable by life in prison so I am just going to run away now.” I don’t believe that happens in the burglar’s internal dialogue in any way, shape or form. I engaged in a little hyperbole to accentuate how off the mark I believe it to be. Just my opinion. I do believe in deterrence, but I believe that’s incrementally effective across society as a whole, working to produce fewer criminals being in that situation in the first place. In other words, maybe not as many burglars carry guns with them as they would otherwise if there was a lack of deterrence.

 

[SandyQLS]

The argument you’re making is not a novel one. In fact, it comes up so often, Ive named it the Criminal’s Mental Checklist Of Potential Statutory Consequences If I Do This Spur Of The Moment Thing.

There isn’t a criminal alive who stops while in the heat of the moment to think about what “the law” is going to do to him if he escalates. These are incredibly tense moments and things happen in the blink of an eye. A nervous twitch and a trigger is squeezed without intention. ...

...RSBM for focus...

<modsnip>

I believe that criminals can and do calculate, discuss, Plan B, during the heat of the moment of a crime. I know for a fact that I have calculated the consequences of a property crime before choosing whether or not to commit it (during an exigent unfolding emergency, eg, if I destroyed an object worth $1000 would that be a misdemeanor vs felony?). Criminals are not robots that are only capable of following a computer program any more than any other human is a mere robot. Crime scenes are messy and strange because of those kinds of arbitrary human factors.

All JMO

 

[SandyQLS]

The context of this discussion wasn’t really about every conceivable criminal situation, ever. We are talking about a specific kind of situation in which a criminal is burglarizing a building and is suddenly confronted by someone they did not expect. The scenario being put forth is, “No self-respecting burglar who is only guilty of a misdemeanor is going to say, “Whoa, I can’t kill this lady. That would be felony murder punishable by life in prison so I am just going to run away now.” I don’t believe that happens in the burglar’s internal dialogue in any way, shape or form. I engaged in a little hyperbole to accentuate how off the mark I believe it to be. Just my opinion. I do believe in deterrence, but I believe that’s incrementally effective across society as a whole, working to produce fewer criminals being in that situation in the first place. In other words, maybe not as many burglars carry guns with them as they would otherwise if there was a lack of deterrence.

The only criminal mind in question is SwatPerp, and you do not, no one knows, what was in SwatPerp's mind. IMO

 

[TheGardener]

The argument you’re making is not a novel one. In fact, it comes up so often, Ive named it the Criminal’s Mental Checklist Of Potential Statutory Consequences If I Do This Spur Of The Moment Thing.

There isn’t a criminal alive who stops while in the heat of the moment to think about what “the law” is going to do to him if he escalates. These are incredibly tense moments and things happen in the blink of an eye. A nervous twitch and a trigger is squeezed without intention. I told a story in the previous thread of police in a training exercise who were asked to play the role of the criminals holding up an armored car. 50% of the time, they killed the hostage inadvertently, without forming the intention to do so. It just happens. Criminals don’t freeze time so that they can go over their checklist of what happens if I do A here, or what happens if I do B here.

But for some reason, people continue to hold onto this argument that the fact that SP killed Missy must mean that he INTENDED to kill Missy all along. That is not a logical argument. Sorry, but criminals are dumb. They are. We make a mistake if we think that when it comes down to brass tacks, they will all of a sudden make good sound decisions when they’ve made the opposite ones up to that point.

And if you think that the killer acting casual means they’re not really a burglar, how do you think that logic holds up if they were targeting Missy and expecting her imminent arrival? Aren’t you the one who has pegged this as a cosplayer who intends to murder? Yet you yourself say that the person has “no swag”. Well, exactly. They’re not there to BEHAVE like a tactical officer. If they were, you’d see them playing out the typical “clearing of a room” with gun drawn. But there is none of that. They’re just wanting to have the costume on to hide their appearance. So, there is nothing about this person’s behavior to indicate either that they are cosplaying or that they are gearing up for murder. And there is absolutely no reason for them to be quickly in and out of the church because in their mind, they have hours to spare.

You must bear with me. I've worked as a liaison between the mental health community, the courts and our local police. I've had the opportunity to speak with incarcerated people, people found to be NGBRI, ex-prisoners who counsel inmates both in jail and in prison, people associated with N.A.M.I and the Forensic Fact Program. Most criminals understand the system very well. They know the risks involved by degree. They understand the court system. They know the strata of possible penalties. There are criminals alive who know who they are, what their level of ability is, what their criminal expertise is, what their level of acceptable risk is and they choose not to go beyond those self-imposed limitations. They aren't necessarily dumb. They don't refer to the prison system as "college" for no reason.

Crime is poor decision making from the outset. That's a given, but it also involves a level of self-preservation maintained by the individual during the act. Criminals are of all stripes, not necessarily ignorant or totally lacking in self-control. They operate from a foundation of experience and know the difference between misdemeanor crime and heavier stuff. Many of them won't do the crime, because they're unwilling to do the time. Others know when to back off in the heat of the moment. I'm not insinuating that criminals suspend time to make quick assessments of their status. I'm saying many of them have a limit going in and will go no further should the situation demand more of them. If this mindset was not possible, or negotiable, police agencies would not even entertain CIT training rather than going in guns blazing. The last thing a fully disguised trespasser, with no stolen property (swag) on their person wants to do is kill someone over a misdemeanor.

The problem with this case is the incongruity between the threat level imposed by the supposed unsuspecting victim and the overwhelming response of the murderer. SP had little to lose if caught, any number of ways to back off, and anonymity on their side, yet they murdered her. If there is a glaring WHY it is to be found there. SP is a completely unsuccessful trespass/burglar, but a very successful murderer. MS is dead. Cosplay is assuming the outward character of someone you are not. In this case it provided successful anonymity, associated cop behaviors unnecessary. We have found some common ground.
Thank you for your insight. I appreciate your thoughts and know we both want to see this young woman's family receive a just outcome.

 

[Gumshoe Stories]

Criminals are not robots that are only capable of following a computer program any more than any other human is a mere robot. Crime scenes are messy and strange because of those kinds of arbitrary human factors.

All JMO

Wouldn’t it be nice if we could sustain our own objections?

As far as the rest of your quote that I snipped above about robots, I believe you have reinforced my point perfectly. Humans do NOT behave in easily predictable ways. And crimes in the heat of the moment DO get messy. That is precisely why it does not work to try to “prove” the theory of targeted by saying that if SP had been there for some other reason, SP would have let her go rather than kill her.

 

[Gumshoe Stories]

You must bear with me. I've worked as a liaison between the mental health community, the courts and our local police. I've had the opportunity to speak with incarcerated people, people found to be NGBRI, ex-prisoners who counsel inmates both in jail and in prison, people associated with N.A.M.I and the Forensic Fact Program. Most criminals understand the system very well. They know the risks involved by degree. They understand the court system. They know the strata of possible penalties. There are criminals alive who know who they are, what their level of ability is, what their criminal expertise is, what their level of acceptable risk is and they choose not to go beyond those self-imposed limitations. They aren't necessarily dumb. They don't refer to the prison system as "college" for no reason.

Crime is poor decision making from the outset. That's a given, but it also involves a level of self-preservation maintained by the individual during the act. Criminals are of all stripes, not necessarily ignorant or totally lacking in self-control. They operate from a foundation of experience and know the difference between misdemeanor crime and heavier stuff. Many of them won't do the crime, because they're unwilling to do the time. Others know when to back off in the heat of the moment. I'm not insinuating that criminals suspend time to make quick assessments of their status. I'm saying many of them have a limit going in and will go no further should the situation demand more of them. If this mindset was not possible, or negotiable, police agencies would not even entertain CIT training rather than going in guns blazing. The last thing a fully disguised trespasser, with no stolen property (swag) on their person wants to do is kill someone over a misdemeanor.

The problem with this case is the incongruity between the threat level imposed by the supposed unsuspecting victim and the overwhelming response of the murderer. SP had little to lose if caught, any number of ways to back off, and anonymity on their side, yet they murdered her. If there is a glaring WHY it is to be found there. SP is a completely unsuccessful trespass/burglar, but a very successful murderer. MS is dead. Cosplay is assuming the outward character of someone you are not. In this case it provided successful anonymity, associated cop behaviors unnecessary. We have found some common ground.
Thank you for your insight. I appreciate your thoughts and know we both want to see this young woman's family receive a just outcome.

We all hopefully respect one another around here. I enjoy engaging in the intellectual exercise of debate. It’s certainly never meant to be personal. And I can certainly be wrong in an opinion and have no qualms about admitting it. I do tend to play “devil’s advocate” quite a bit, and really it’s just to make sure all sides are looked at and weak points are identified. I would want others to do that for me as well.

With that said, to your comments. I find it problematic that you think it was easy for SP to just walk away. That is assuming facts not in evidence. There are a multitude of ways in which SP and Missy might have encountered one another, and not every one of those necessarily would have made it easy for SP to easily vamoose. Remember, Missy was a very strong, fit person. We have no idea what her own actions were. Maybe she chose fight over flight. We just don’t know.

You call SP an unsuccessful burglar but a successful murderer. I’m not sure what your point is there, unless it’s to try to undermine the validity of it being a burglary in the first place. But look, if I commit an armed robbery of a liquor store, the owner refuses to open the cash drawer, so I shoot him and run - I am an unsuccessful robber but a successful murderer. That doesn’t change the fact that I came there to rob the place.

as I said in an earlier post, with the example of the police training exercise, half the hostages ended up “dead” by the hand of people who were trained police officers who werent consciously wanting to kill them. But the hostage didn’t comply, froze, or tried to run, and the unexpected happened.

so it doesn’t matter if the criminal is smart or dumb. Doesn’t matter if they are wise to the system or not. In the heat of the moment, all that goes by the wayside and often what is left is base instinct and reflex and nerves on fire.

 

[cujenn81]

I think most people who walk duck-footed are fairly oblivious to the fact that they walk that way. As long as they aren’t limping or in pain, I think the vast majority are never going to seek treatment. I look at this person on the video and I don’t see anything there that affects their quality of life.

As far as clues or observations... I continue to lean toward this being an Untargeted attack resulting from an interrupted burglary. I think the best hope of solving it lies with forensics. We need to hope they have DNA. This person isn’t talking, either because they’re a loner along the lines of the Golden State Killer, or because they’re dead.

I see that Texas allows the use of genetic genealogy in criminal investigations. So, that’s good.

DNA, genealogy website lead to arrest in 26-year-old Texas murder case

I would hope that LE has already begun utilizing this technology if they have viable DNA from SP.

 

[TristanP]

I’ve wondered if the SP was drunk.
Maybe that’s why they walked that way ? moo

I read this too fast and thought it said “I’ve wondered if the SP was a duck.” Lol

 

[Gumshoe Stories]

I read this too fast and thought it said “I’ve wondered if the SP was a duck.” Lol

If it walks like one...