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

[lonewanderer]

“Burglar” or not, can we please refer to them what they are, a murderer?

 

[Diddian]

But why wander around so casually? If they were looking for a safe or something, you'd think they would be looking/rummaging at a quick, efficient pace.

The perpetrator arrived before 4 am and likely thought he easily had at least a couple hours and maybe more before there was a risk that anyone would show up. And as I suggested, if he was there to take something valuable, he didn't appear to know where it was stored, so was checking multiple places.

I think Pat Brown was right that if the perpetrator was waiting to kill MB and knew that she'd arrive soon, he wouldn't have wandered around so casually and walked toward the back of the church. Instead, he'd have stayed close to the front door to await her arrival, and would have watched her vehicle approach to make sure she was alone in her vehicle and no other vehicles were accompanying her.

It's interesting that the perpetrator left the hammer and pry bar with the victim and that LE was unable to find any prints or DNA evidence of the perpetrator on those tools left at the scene. That suggests some preparation to clean those tools in advance of the crime (to avoid leaving any prints/DNA) and also could suggest some awareness to avoid taking victim blood/DNA away with him from the scene and into his own vehicle (alternatively, the tools may have been left because the perpetrator was in a state of panic after MB discovered his presence and he killed her).

That could be an indicator the perpetrator went to the church with a plan to kill MB with the hammer OR it could indicate that this was a prowling/burglarizing perp that is knowledgeable about evidence that can be gathered and has prior felony convictions so that his prints and/or DNA are on file, available for matching if left at a crime scene.

 

[FromGermany1]

If I remember well, it was said at the beginning, that the SP tried to clean the scene around Missy's dead body.
I think, if he shot/murdered her during burglary, he wouldn't have tried.

 

[dbcooper63]

The suspect I see in the pictures of Missy beavers Killers is a woman as far as I'm concerned because of the shoulders and the thin ankles

 

[lonewanderer]

The perpetrator arrived before 4 am and likely thought he easily had at least a couple hours and maybe more before there was a risk that anyone would show up. And as I suggested, if he was there to take something valuable, he didn't appear to know where it was stored, so was checking multiple places.

I think Pat Brown was right that if the perpetrator was waiting to kill MB and knew that she'd arrive soon, he wouldn't have wandered around so casually and walked toward the back of the church. Instead, he'd have stayed close to the front door to await her arrival, and would have watched her vehicle approach to make sure she was alone in her vehicle and no other vehicles were accompanying her.

It's interesting that the perpetrator left the hammer and pry bar with the victim and that LE was unable to find any prints or DNA evidence of the perpetrator on those tools left at the scene. That suggests some preparation to clean those tools in advance of the crime (to avoid leaving any prints/DNA) and also could suggest some awareness to avoid taking victim blood/DNA away with him from the scene and into his own vehicle (alternatively, the tools may have been left because the perpetrator was in a state of panic after MB discovered his presence and he killed her).

That could be an indicator the perpetrator went to the church with a plan to kill MB with the hammer OR it could indicate that this was a prowling/burglarizing perp that is knowledgeable about evidence that can be gathered and has prior felony convictions so that his prints and/or DNA are on file, available for matching if left at a crime scene.

I think it was a well thought out and targeted murder.

I think the perp entered through the kitchen because they did not know for 100% sure where Missy was entering the church, and the kitchen, to me, seems logically like the last place a fitness instructor would be entering at 4am. They then used their time to figure out if there was a room Missy was setting up in and the best place to be to attack her once she got inside.

 

[lonewanderer]

I’ve learned two more facts in this case. Missy was captured on video, per the podiatrist. Doc saw her (on video) come in to the church and see her startled reaction to something. MB turned her head towards the noise or to the person. I didn’t know that MB was actually filmed.

At least one of the working cameras had audio. I was always under the impression there was no sound. You can hear the doors opening and SP walking on a video I recently saw.

Wondering why SP would be looking in rooms and opening closet doors etc. Perhaps SP was looking for the controls to the cameras to disengage them or take tapes out. Who knows..

Another Christmas these girls are without their Mother… sad.

There is an interview with Brandon where he discusses his job is working with AV equipment. I have always found that really interesting, but maybe not applicable.

You would think the perp might physically damage the cameras, spray paint them, something.

The cameras not working outside is a super common thing in the true crime world. Its right up there with mistaking a mannequin for a body, mushroom hunters finding a body in the woods, and fisherman seeing a body floating in the water.

While we are discussing cameras, does anyone else find the placement of this one odd? It is very limited in what it can capture, is basically just a hallway. The door blocks a lot when it is opened, and it just seems extremely poorly placed:

 

[lonewanderer]

The suspect I see in the pictures of Missy beavers Killers is a woman as far as I'm concerned because of the shoulders and the thin ankles

I personally don't see much of their ankles in the footage. The boots cover up quite a lot.

I go back and forth on the shoulders, as they resemble the way Randy Bevers is built quite a bit. But, there are plenty of bigger women with similar shoulders.

I think its likely that the person in the suit is one of three women:

1. Scorned woman that knew Missy really well, who was nursing a broken foot at the time. She also had access to extremely similar looking equipment.

2. Unhinged lady who was known for some extreme views, knew Missy, and was pregnant with a specific condition that made her walk really unbalanced.

3. The shocker candidate, this woman knew Missy extremely well (well enough to have inside knowledge if one of the girls would be with Missy on a whim that morning), worked with Randy and Brandon's (step)mom (and very slight chance Brandon) on establishing their alibis and carried out the murder without arousing suspicion. I think its more likely this woman worked with the parents and took advantage of Brandon being out of town.

 

[FromGermany1]

There is an interview with Brandon where he discusses his job is working with AV equipment. I have always found that really interesting, but maybe not applicable.

 

[somequestions]

I think this was a staged burglary, but I can understand why others may think it was not staged. There are compelling arguments for both theories. If it was not staged, then it is a very inexperienced burglar.

The main reason I think it was staged is the burglar did not go directly to the church offices, where I assume the safe would be if the church had one. Even before they got to the double dutch doors, the burglar passed the signs directing them to where the church offices were in the building. The outside sign as you drive into the Creekside Church parking lot also directs you where to park to be near the church offices.

Since we still do not even know if this was a male or female burglar, all of our opinions are based on what we already think. I think the burglar/murderer was a woman, but this is another guess. If a woman wears a police style outfit to commit either a burglary or a murder, I think she is someone who believes in authority and discipline. She is not a very experienced burglar. The burglar may have been at church at Creekside that Sunday before to do a walkthrough preparing for the crime. This is about the best profile I can come up with in the Missy Bever's case.

This case already feels so cold even though there are many cases out there that are much older. I wonder how long it will take to solve this case.

 

[NoSpoonFeeding]

If I remember well, it was said at the beginning, that the SP tried to clean the scene around Missy's dead body.
I think, if he shot/murdered her during burglary, he wouldn't have tried.

Source for Sp tried to clean the scene around the victim?

If he murdered her during a planned murder he wouldn't have been cleaning up either. Wiping to destroy shoeprints/evidence maybe, but not cleaning up.

He could not have intended to make it look like a murder didn't happen there, he wasn't taking a body with him.

 

[AppleTreeGreen]

I think this was a staged burglary, but I can understand why others may think it was not staged. There are compelling arguments for both theories. If it was not staged, then it is a very inexperienced burglar.

The main reason I think it was staged is the burglar did not go directly to the church offices, where I assume the safe would be if the church had one. Even before they got to the double dutch doors, the burglar passed the signs directing them to where the church offices were in the building. The outside sign as you drive into the Creekside Church parking lot also directs you where to park to be near the church offices.

Since we still do not even know if this was a male or female burglar, all of our opinions are based on what we already think. I think the burglar/murderer was a woman, but this is another guess. If a woman wears a police style outfit to commit either a burglary or a murder, I think she is someone who believes in authority and discipline. She is not a very experienced burglar. The burglar may have been at church at Creekside that Sunday before to do a walkthrough preparing for the crime. This is about the best profile I can come up with in the Missy Bever's case.

This case already feels so cold even though there are many cases out there that are much older. I wonder how long it will take to solve this case.

I am more inclined to think the burglary was staged too. IIRC earlier this year another participant on this thread had a compiled a number of news clips that detailed burglaries that have taken place in other churches. One interesting pattern I noticed is that, unlike our perp, even if the burglars weren’t able to get their hands on their original target, such as money stored in a safe or closed compartment or donated Christmas gift, a majority of them still didn’t leave empty handed. They still manage to steal and sell items that would make their venture yield some profit. For example, some burglars stole glass dishes, silverware, mics, guitars, speakers, checkbooks, fancy pens, coats, credit cards, batteries and identity documentation that staff sometimes accidentally left behind. Though I would have overlooked the value of such items and found their transport burdensome it made me realize that burglars have access to channels, markets, albeit illegal ones, and clients that would make these items in demand. As a result this gives them advantage of balancing the risk they took in committing their crimes with a bigger profitable outcome with more worth.

Despite ample opportunity to gather items to later sell, MB’s murderer instead spends time strolling the hallways, putting holes in the wall and opening unlocked doors. The perp who horrendously robbed MB of her life did not rob the church. They leave with with empty bloody hands and a lifetime of dodging cops as they try to outrun a court, a family and investigation seeking justice for MB.

 

[NoSpoonFeeding]

I am more inclined to think the burglary was staged too. IIRC earlier this year another participant on this thread had a compiled a number of news clips that detailed burglaries that have taken place in other churches. One interesting pattern I noticed is that, unlike our perp, even if the burglars weren’t able to get their hands on their original target, such as money stored in a safe or closed compartment or donated Christmas gift, a majority of them still didn’t leave empty handed. They still manage to steal and sell items that would make their venture yield some profit. For example, some burglars stole glass dishes, silverware, mics, guitars, speakers, checkbooks, fancy pens, coats, credit cards, batteries and identity documentation that staff sometimes accidentally left behind. Though I would have overlooked the value of such items and found their transport burdensome it made me realize that burglars have access to channels, markets, albeit illegal ones, and clients that would make these items in demand. As a result this gives them advantage of balancing the risk they took in committing their crimes with a bigger profitable outcome with more worth.

Despite ample opportunity to gather items to later sell, MB’s murderer instead spends time strolling the hallways, putting holes in the wall and opening unlocked doors. The perp who horrendously robbed MB of her life did not rob the church. They leave with with empty bloody hands and a lifetime of dodging cops as they try to outrun a court, a family and investigation seeking justice for MB.

What items would he gather, that would realistically be worth selling that would be in that church? He didn't look like he could carry much.
We don't know for a fact if something was taken or not, or if the office/desks were gone through since it was pouring rain out and SP could only take what he could put in his pockets or carry. LE is going to hold back that kind of information.
Many of these burglaries are looking for cash and credit cards in offices. Just like schools, burglaries at churches are often just break-ins to do vandalism.
We also don't know for a fact if SP wasn't first looking to do a burglary at the nearby location where the car circled but left due to other cars being parked behind the building.

 

[lonewanderer]

I am more inclined to think the burglary was staged too. IIRC earlier this year another participant on this thread had a compiled a number of news clips that detailed burglaries that have taken place in other churches. One interesting pattern I noticed is that, unlike our perp, even if the burglars weren’t able to get their hands on their original target, such as money stored in a safe or closed compartment or donated Christmas gift, a majority of them still didn’t leave empty handed. They still manage to steal and sell items that would make their venture yield some profit. For example, some burglars stole glass dishes, silverware, mics, guitars, speakers, checkbooks, fancy pens, coats, credit cards, batteries and identity documentation that staff sometimes accidentally left behind. Though I would have overlooked the value of such items and found their transport burdensome it made me realize that burglars have access to channels, markets, albeit illegal ones, and clients that would make these items in demand. As a result this gives them advantage of balancing the risk they took in committing their crimes with a bigger profitable outcome with more worth.

Despite ample opportunity to gather items to later sell, MB’s murderer instead spends time strolling the hallways, putting holes in the wall and opening unlocked doors. The perp who horrendously robbed MB of her life did not rob the church. They leave with with empty bloody hands and a lifetime of dodging cops as they try to outrun a court, a family and investigation seeking justice for MB.

Very well said.

In addition to this, I would bet quite a large amount that absolutely none of these burglars were decked out head to toe in SWAT gear (with helmet) at 4am.

I would also wager these burglars also did not walk around leisurely.

"Burglars" (actual ones, not murders staging a burglary) would bring SOME kind of loot bag with them, right? Or am I just a crazy person for thinking these logical thoughts?

 

[somequestions]

The burglar murderer had already passed the area where Missy Bevers body was eventually found. Passing this area happened right at the beginning of the surveillance video shortly after they came out of the kitchen area. Did they just forget that area as they methodically went door to door in the church only to come back to that area later when Missy Bevers happened to walk in?

Before Missy Bevers joined Camp Gladiator, if I remember correctly, she was a special education teacher? One possible idea is that maybe Missy Bever's killer was a school principal.

In a case like this, until you understand why, it is hard to come to any good conclusions.

 

[rodee34]

Trying to remain open minded here, but I do have a hard time thinking burglary in this case. Mostly because nothing being taken, no duffle bag to cart things out, overkill on the outfit, taking too much time loitering around, and it seems a car would be pulled up to load “stuff” in. I would not add 20 pounds of costume/gear/tools to make a clean in and out burglary. I would not be lollygagging carefree for 30+ minutes looking for something valuable to take. Maybe they were drunk or high?? I’d be like cat-woman, in/out and gone.

The thing that sways me into the murder column is the vicious killing. It’s one thing to get caught doing something you shouldn’t be doing, you could panic and shoot at a person and run like hell.

<modsnip - no link to description of the body>

Why would the MPD say there was no threat to the residents? Do they know who the killer is? Do they know the killer is dead, sick, arrested for something else, moved out of the area or ??? Maybe they were just trying to keep everyone calm. There IS a killer amongst us, somewhere. That’s scary.

 

[rodee34]

I’m not opposed to thinking there may have been two SP’s in the church. I know the videos are so distorted, but in one clip I see SP wearing shorts over pants. (The clip where he/she fails at opening the door with a pry bar) Then another clip, no shorts. Another clip I see boots, and another I see thin ankles. Some I’ve seen v e r y long arms, then normal arms. Girl-ish attempts at breaking glass, then determined strikes, walking swiftly, and then walking like they were drunk/high touching the walls as they are walking.

One photo shows the inside double doors open with a reflection that “could be” SP #2. Seven years ago someone thought it could be a wheelchair, and it makes sense. So who knows.. (only SP, so far).

I’m sure the pics are already uploaded here, but if I can round them up, I’ll upload them. The pics leave questions in my mind is all.

 

[lonewanderer]

Trying to remain open minded here, but I do have a hard time thinking burglary in this case. Mostly because nothing being taken, no duffle bag to cart things out, overkill on the outfit, taking too much time loitering around, and it seems a car would be pulled up to load “stuff” in. I would not add 20 pounds of costume/gear/tools to make a clean in and out burglary. I would not be lollygagging carefree for 30+ minutes looking for something valuable to take. Maybe they were drunk or high?? I’d be like cat-woman, in/out and gone.

The thing that sways me into the murder column is the vicious killing. It’s one thing to get caught doing something you shouldn’t be doing, you could panic and shoot at a person and run like hell.

This killing was reported as multiple stab wounds in the face and head, gunshot wound(s) and chest wounds. Leaving “tools” implanted in her body. Along with the 2nd and 3rd hand information I’ve heard, I’m more in the “jealousy, revenge” camp. Midlothian is a small town where rumors spread like wildfire. It’s just important that the killer(s) are caught.

Why would the MPD say there was no threat to the residents? Do they know who the killer is? Do they know the killer is dead, sick, arrested for something else, moved out of the area or ??? Maybe they were just trying to keep everyone calm. There IS a killer amongst us, somewhere. That’s scary.

This exactly! You would think someone there to rob the place would bring things to take loot with them, and be in and out in a hurry, smashing things quickly, not lazily swinging a hammer and lulling about. The outfit is absolutely over-the-top ridiculous to me and I cannot believe anyone thinks they were there at 4am just goofing off. I fully believe it is being worn to conceal identity, keep forensics off, and possibly add a layer of protection. I cannot imagine anyone actually falling for someone decked out in SWAT gear to be a police officer BY THEMSELVES at 4am in a random church, but some people think that is what they were aiming for. It COULD be that the perp THOUGHT this was going to be a good way to pretend to be police, but the thought is totally absurd to me. Just dress like a normal cop for crying out loud! Even with that, its once again, 4am, in a church pretty far off the highway and no police cruiser with its obnoxious lights going off. Seriously, who would fall for that??!??

The way this person walks reminds me of a couple of other walks I have seen before:

A sassy overweight person (gender non-specific)

If this makes any sense, the way a some teachers walk. Like the kinda smug "Im in control" waddle.

I can't tell if this person has their hand on the wall to support themselves because they are drunk as a skunk or because they have a super calm and stone cold confident demeanor.

 

[lonewanderer]

<modsnip - quoted post was removed>

Honestly, there are a lot of overweight people that walk that way.

I don't think the gait is too distinct, just take a closer look at how overweight people walk the next time you are at the store.

 

[rodee34]

You’re right, I see lots of people walk like that. I’d probably walk like that with 20 pounds of gear on just to keep from tipping over.

 

[Charlot123]

I think this was a staged burglary, but I can understand why others may think it was not staged. There are compelling arguments for both theories. If it was not staged, then it is a very inexperienced burglar.

The main reason I think it was staged is the burglar did not go directly to the church offices, where I assume the safe would be if the church had one. Even before they got to the double dutch doors, the burglar passed the signs directing them to where the church offices were in the building. The outside sign as you drive into the Creekside Church parking lot also directs you where to park to be near the church offices.

Since we still do not even know if this was a male or female burglar, all of our opinions are based on what we already think. I think the burglar/murderer was a woman, but this is another guess. If a woman wears a police style outfit to commit either a burglary or a murder, I think she is someone who believes in authority and discipline. She is not a very experienced burglar. The burglar may have been at church at Creekside that Sunday before to do a walkthrough preparing for the crime. This is about the best profile I can come up with in the Missy Bever's case.

This case already feels so cold even though there are many cases out there that are much older. I wonder how long it will take to solve this case.

Question to anyone who knows about police style outfit: is it supposed to restrict one's movements?

In is an androgynous form, and when I asked myself, what person does this apparition remind you of?, I was able to describe him pretty well. Not a woman at all, a man in his 40es, short-neck, heavyset but rather muscular. There is one detail, the way this person holds arms - slightly bent in elbows. I have seen this posture often in men after 40, but almost never, in women.