TX TX - Terri 'Missy' Bevers, 45, killed in church/suspect in SWAT gear, Midlothian, 18 Apr 2016 #49

[lonewanderer]

At this point in time with over 7 years gone by and no arrest or publicly named POI/suspect I'm thinking it is likely one of two situations.
1. A cosplay or vandal who runs into Missy just as she enters the hallway and uses what he has available to try to subdue her and make an escape. This would likely be a stranger and therefore very difficult for LE to solve.
2. It was a targeted killing BUT not by someone Missy knew. That is, this was a stalker that knew of Missy but Missy didn't necessarily know them. In this instance if LE is looking at her KNOWN associates it will be almost as difficult to solve as a stranger killing. (IOW, someone who saw her at another boot camp session or followed her FB page.)

Apparently the forensic evidence here is very thin. Maybe the only way is someone calling in a tip. I can't believe someone hasn't seen that gear before. But who knows, maybe a tip was called in and it was poorly documented or misfiled or misunderstood. It's happened before like in the Tara Grinstead case.

There was someone who somewhat fits this description, who was interviewed but ruled out as a suspect.

 

[NoSpoonFeeding]

There was someone who somewhat fits this description, who was interviewed but ruled out as a suspect.

In what way does someone somewhat fit this description and how would it be known they were ruled out as a suspect?

I believe that LE interviewed dozens of people in this investigation, a couple of whom were publicly cleared to stop the wild speculation and accusations against family members. I don't believe anyone else was " ruled out" as suspects, at least not so that we would know.

 

[jetsfanjohn]

Why cosplay as a police officer in a church out of all places? Why in a day of torrential rain? What weird and bad luck they would unknowingly pick a church to cosplay in that just happened to host a 5am exercise class. Why the need to violently murder instead of run out once noise was heard? Police would be called anyways with a murder. Not at all saying it can't be circumstantial but what an ill-fated sequence of events.

Cosplay folk are a bit weird anyway, (grown men dressing up as Captain Kirk etc). Maybe seeing one LARPing around in Church in the early hours shouldn't be too much of a suprise.

 

[Inthedetails]

Cosplay folk are a bit weird anyway, (grown men dressing up as Captain Kirk etc). Maybe seeing one LARPing around in Church in the early hours shouldn't be too much of a suprise.

That's my hunch - cosplay. It's entirely possible a tip will never be called in, if the cosplay person's activities weren't especially known to family and friends, which is what I'm guessing.

But, what holds me back from this theory, though, is why murder?! Why not just run away if encountering someone by surprise while playing around in a church before dawn?

jmo

 

[FromGermany1]

That's my hunch - cosplay. It's entirely possible a tip will never be called in, if the cosplay person's activities weren't especially known to family and friends, which is what I'm guessing.

But, what holds me back from this theory, though, is why murder?! Why not just run away if encountering someone by surprise while playing around in a church before dawn?

jmo

Thinking of Liz Barraza in 2019 at Tomball, 4 driving hours away. I think, her killer was disguised in some form also. Liz was definitely targeted, and I strong believe, Missy was too.

 

[glassheater]

Why cosplay as a police officer in a church out of all places? Why in a day of torrential rain? What weird and bad luck they would unknowingly pick a church to cosplay in that just happened to host a 5am exercise class. Why the need to violently murder instead of run out once noise was heard? Police would be called anyways with a murder. Not at all saying it can't be circumstantial but what an ill-fated sequence of events.

Want to add: not only did they happen to pick a church that hosted a 5am class, but they knew the church didn’t have an alarm. Or maybe they thought it may but lucked out. Has there been any other break ins in the area in the time period before this awful event and after where the camera also picked up someone in cosplay gear? In any area near Midlothian since I doubt they would strike Midlothian again. Or did it just happen to be the perp’s first and only time and everything went awry scaring them away from doing this again. And like I mentioned and the poster above me mentioned, the cosplayer happened to be a particularly violent individual that thought murder was the better option instead of running off. Either way police would have been called.

ETA: it could also be a deranged cosplayer who actively sought out this scenario. Pretend that someone broke in. Purposeful targeting but not for personal reasons.

As time and time went on I leaned towards random targeting but then when I think about the particulars I lean back towards targeted. I hope a big break in the case can come soon.

 

[SteveS]

Yes, all murder is brutal. Let me be more particular, Missy's murder was particularly violent. Several wounds. Now unsure if gunshots or puncture wounds.

"Particularly violent"?? No, we don't know that to be the case. We know she was shot and killed. There were several wounds (she got hit several times). But getting hit with several bullets (when they penetrate the skin, they are puncture wounds, of course) would indicate the loser perp shot multiple times at Missy, but not sure that multiple shots is any more "violent" than a single shot that kills.

Of course it's still possible she had hundreds of other wounds too, but we have nothing to base that on. LE vaguely spoke of puncture wounds and then refused to tell more about what caused those "punctures" but once we found out she was killed by gunshot, the answer was clear.

 

[glassheater]

This was discussed in the beginning of the case. How the multiple wounds comes across as more of a crime of passion than random. Regardless it’s awful and I have a hard time believing it was completely random based on everything I’ve written above.

 

[SteveS]

This was discussed in the beginning of the case. How the multiple wounds comes across as more of a crime of passion than random. Regardless it’s awful and I have a hard time believing it was completely random based on everything I’ve written above.

Without it having been a death by stab wounds, but rather she was just shot, does it look like a "crime of passion" anymore? NO, OF COURSE NOT. And clearly there is no value or wisdom in deferring to ideas that flowed from our ignorance.

The "particularly violent" or unusually "brutal" claims just don't hold water in light of what we now know.

We didn't know then what we didn't know. What we came to believe then (in our ignorance) has to change in light of better information, if we're smart. Back then, the ones doing the discussing (including me) did not know Missy was killed by gunshots. So what we thought based on our mistaken "facts" has to be set aside, and we have to think in a different direction, if we are to get to the truth.

 

[x_files]

Truly a BIZARRE case. I cannot wait until it is finally solved!

 

[FromGermany1]

"Particularly violent"?? No, we don't know that to be the case. We know she was shot and killed. There were several wounds (she got hit several times). But getting hit with several bullets (when they penetrate the skin, they are puncture wounds, of course) would indicate the loser perp shot multiple times at Missy, but not sure that multiple shots is any more "violent" than a single shot that kills.

Of course it's still possible she had hundreds of other wounds too, but we have nothing to base that on. LE vaguely spoke of puncture wounds and then refused to tell more about what caused those "punctures" but once we found out she was killed by gunshot, the answer was clear.

The puncture wounds had been caused by a tool, which SP carried around. So I remember. AND in addition happened shooting with a pistol, maybe only one shot. Or do you think, LE said "tool" and meant the weapon? You know, SP indeed had tools in his posession, ie. something like a crowbar. That white thing, he carried around, was certainly less suitable to cause puncture wounds, IMO.

 

[lonewanderer]

Cosplay folk are a bit weird anyway, (grown men dressing up as Captain Kirk etc). Maybe seeing one LARPing around in Church in the early hours shouldn't be too much of a suprise.

That's my hunch - cosplay. It's entirely possible a tip will never be called in, if the cosplay person's activities weren't especially known to family and friends, which is what I'm guessing.

But, what holds me back from this theory, though, is why murder?! Why not just run away if encountering someone by surprise while playing around in a church before dawn?

jmo

In addition to many other problems I have with the cosplay theory, I will expand on this piece.

The outfit doesn’t look like anyone from anything in particular. The person in the outfit is also not moving or acting like anyone in particular from any movie, tv show, or video game.

I really don’t see the point in getting THAT decked out in an outfit, while it’s raining outside, and not emulate someone they are trying to cosplay.

 

[SteveS]

The puncture wounds had been caused by a tool, which SP carried around. So I remember. AND in addition happened shooting with a pistol, maybe only one shot. Or do you think, LE said "tool" and meant the weapon? You know, SP indeed had tools in his possession, ie. something like a crowbar. That white thing, he carried around, was certainly less suitable to cause puncture wounds, IMO.

My personal opinion - LE was deliberately trying to mislead the public, so they called the gun a tool (ie, a tool used to shoot someone) and spoke of the bullet wounds as "puncture" wounds (ie, wounds that had punctured the skin).

To fit the description, there would have been as few as 2 shots (but no less) that were consistent with the said "tool(s)," as the description said "multiple," "wounds" (plural), and said they were in head AND chest (which would take more than one shot).

Our known info is that she was killed by gunshot, so the wounds that killed her were bullet wounds. And we have to line up the fact that they wrote "tool(s)" and "puncture" at a point when they knew those facts (the autopsy was already done).

My impression they were trying to mislead us is not only based on that misleading description (which technically is true, but leads us to think something different) but also on the fact that that was the one and only time the local LE ever said anything to the public about any details of her death.

 

[lonewanderer]

In addition to many other problems I have with the cosplay theory, I will expand on this piece.

The outfit doesn’t look like anyone from anything in particular. The person in the outfit is also not moving or acting like anyone in particular from any movie, tv show, or video game.

I really don’t see the point in getting THAT decked out in an outfit, while it’s raining outside, and not emulate someone they are trying to cosplay.

The entire point of cosplay is to be seen and to mimic and look as much like a particular character as possible.

The exact opposite of this is happening with this person in SWAT gear.

 

[moslym3]

The entire point of cosplay is to be seen and to mimic and look as much like a particular character as possible.

The exact opposite of this is happening with this person in SWAT gear.

I think impersonating someone in uniform is a thing of it's own though -- more anti-social than just larping as a civil war soldier.
There are cases of criminals using uniforms to get into otherwise difficult or secure locations etc. Given the seemingly pointless wandering he did in the church, this gives me the feeling it was his first "low risk" run with his uniform. Perhaps this is where he starts - a low risk environment where he can knock around looking like a cop, with few consequences or risks, and wait to see the break-in footage on the evening news the following night to get his first thrills. But what he didn't expect as he was banging around in that empty church as thunder and heavy rain pelted the building was MB to just walk right up to him.
My amateur opinions.

 

[AnonymousSeesYOU]

Why cosplay as a police officer in a church out of all places? Why in a day of torrential rain? What weird and bad luck they would unknowingly pick a church to cosplay in that just happened to host a 5am exercise class. Why the need to violently murder instead of run out once noise was heard? Police would be called anyways with a murder. Not at all saying it can't be circumstantial but what an ill-fated sequence of events.

In the middle of the night because they didn’t want to be seen, in the pouring rain because of a limited window of opportunity. Not a limited window to murder, but a limited window to don the gear. Maybe a delusional, secretive cop fantasist discovered the outfit and had limited access to it.

 

[lonewanderer]

I think impersonating someone in uniform is a thing of it's own though -- more anti-social than just larping as a civil war soldier.
There are cases of criminals using uniforms to get into otherwise difficult or secure locations etc. Given the seemingly pointless wandering he did in the church, this gives me the feeling it was his first "low risk" run with his uniform. Perhaps this is where he starts - a low risk environment where he can knock around looking like a cop, with few consequences or risks, and wait to see the break-in footage on the evening news the following night to get his first thrills. But what he didn't expect as he was banging around in that empty church as thunder and heavy rain pelted the building was MB to just walk right up to him.
My amateur opinions.

I would be more inclined to buy into this if it was a reasonable and realistic looking police officer uniform and not someone in complete SWAT gear, with a helmet.

Why the prying tools and not something sensational like a riot shield or smoke grenade?

What SWAT person brings a hammer around with them?

 

[lonewanderer]

In the middle of the night because they didn’t want to be seen, in the pouring rain because of a limited window of opportunity. Not a limited window to murder, but a limited window to don the gear. Maybe a delusional, secretive cop fantasist discovered the outfit and had limited access to it.

So they go WAY out of their way to get THAT decked out in a uniform in a limited amount of time at 4am in the morning?

 

[Megnut]

How about a teen? Not from the area. Like a grandson, visiting, grandparents never aware, never expecting.

Just a thought.

Jmo

 

[AnonymousSeesYOU]

That's my hunch - cosplay. It's entirely possible a tip will never be called in, if the cosplay person's activities weren't especially known to family and friends, which is what I'm guessing.

But, what holds me back from this theory, though, is why murder?! Why not just run away if encountering someone by surprise while playing around in a church before dawn?

jmo

That's my hunch - cosplay. It's entirely possible a tip will never be called in, if the cosplay person's activities weren't especially known to family and friends, which is what I'm guessing.

But, what holds me back from this theory, though, is why murder?! Why not just run away if encountering someone by surprise while playing around in a church before dawn?

jmo

Maybe it’s our mental health that holds us back from reacting violently in startling, unexpected situations. And for good reason. Thank goodness. But not everyone enjoys, adopts the same behaviors, reactions under stress. We should probably allow for deviations from the norm particularly with respect to this case. Not all LARPers are alike. Don’t misunderstand me, this is not an insanity defense so much as it is a deeply disordered personality response. And some disordered personalities are prone to LARP as authority figures.