MS - Alexandria "Ally" Kostial, 21, Ole Miss student, found dead, Harmontown, 20 July 2019 *ARREST*

[borndem]

I think that you guys are on to his possible "alibi." I don't know how believable it will be; however, it might be that they went to the area to buy drugs, and it was a drug deal gone bad. The only thing is that I don't know how he is going to explain the use and return of his weapon in AK's murder and no harm being done to him.

I guess that we will have to wait and hear his story. His father apparently has his blinders on and believes him to be 100 percent innocent. Police don't and apparently have enough to arrest and hold him on murder.

bbm
Well, maybe he ran and hid behind a rock, like a snake.
It may be about the only alibi this "brain trust" could muster WRT a deal going bad, and it may change a couple of times before he gets it right.
And about his not being shot -- the shooters started shooting at what should have been the weakest of the two of them, and ran out of bullets?
I can see this as about all he's got if he goes this way -- but he won't be put on the stand to tell about it.
Yeah, it needs a bit of polish... But I wouldn't rule it out.
His attys. might try to help him remember it more clearly for their opening remarks...

 

[borndem]

Welcome to Websleuths,
Sunshinyday !!​

 

[MemPat]

What if BT wasn’t the one one who pulled the trigger and maybe wasn’t his gun.
Is it possible he hired someone to do it and was in Memphis to pay the person?
Could explain why his Dad was saying he was innocent because he thinks if his son didn’t pull the trigger then he didn’t commit murder.

That would be a tough theory to promote, I think.

LE obviously tracked BT's cell phone from the area where Ally was found. He was seen on video at the convenience store with her.

If he hired someone to shoot her wouldn't he have made sure he had a solid alibi a long way from there?

Would he have disappeared himself to South Memphis instead of just going about his normal "See me, I'm so very innocent" daily routine?

Would he have bloody clothing and a gun in his trunk?

I think his dad was probably saying he was innocent because that's what Brandon told him and I think Brandon has had a lot of practice lying to ole Dad.

 

[Lillymac]

I am having a hard time with this horrific murder. In this day and time when abortion is so acceptable and when so many girls have children out of wedlock...why murder?? If she was pregnant, why not just move on and deal with it?
I am so against abortion, but I am totally shocked it would be so important to these two that it would escalate to murder. I have to believe there was more. jmo

 

[Lillymac]

That would be a tough theory to promote, I think.

LE obviously tracked BT's cell phone from the area where Ally was found. He was seen on video at the convenience store with her.

If he hired someone to shoot her wouldn't he have made sure he had a solid alibi a long way from there?

Would he have disappeared himself to South Memphis instead of just going about his normal "See me, I'm so very innocent" daily routine?

Would he have bloody clothing and a gun in his trunk?

I think his dad was probably saying he was innocent because that's what Brandon told him and I think Brandon has had a lot of practice lying to ole Dad.

I think his dad was saying he's innocent because no parent wants to think his child is a murderer. And...I find no fault in that. At some point he will come to the realization he probably is, but he wants to believe desperately he is s not.

 

[southerngirl]

I am having a hard time with this horrific murder. In this day and time when abortion is so acceptable and when so many girls have children out of wedlock...why murder?? If she was pregnant, why not just move on and deal with it?
I am so against abortion, but I am totally shocked it would be so important to these two that it would escalate to murder. I have to believe there was more. jmo

I think the pregnancy issue becomes divisive when one partner wants to keep the pregnancy, and the other one doesn't. It is typically the female whose maternal instincts are to give birth and nurture her child, and immature/selfish/narcissistic males do not want the responsibility and financial "burden" of a child for 21 years, especially if they feel no real attachment or commitment to the woman. BT was 22 and had not even completed his sophomore credits. He was not a strong student and obviously enjoyed drinking and playing the field, looking for his "flavor of the week." He was not ready to "settle down" and become accountable for a new life. Actually, few 22-year-old males are, even those who are strong students with bright futures ahead of them. I do think that if there was a pregnancy, it was a deal-breaker for him. He saw it as a "problem" that he needed to eliminate.

 

[Colorado303]

I think that you guys are on to his possible "alibi." I don't know how believable it will be; however, it might be that they went to the area to buy drugs, and it was a drug deal gone bad. The only thing is that I don't know how he is going to explain the use and return of his weapon in AK's murder and no harm being done to him.

I guess that we will have to wait and hear his story. His father apparently has his blinders on and believes him to be 100 percent innocent. Police don't and apparently have enough to arrest and hold him on murder.

We know LE found a gun in his truck but to my knowledge it hasn’t been shown that it’s the same one used in the murder.

Not that I don’t think he’s guilty as hell or that it isn’t the same gun. Just want to make sure we keep facts straight.

 

[sparkleghost]

I think the pregnancy issue becomes divisive when one partner wants to keep the pregnancy, and the other one doesn't. It is typically the female whose maternal instincts are to give birth and nurture her child, and immature/selfish/narcissistic males do not want the responsibility and financial "burden" of a child for 21 years, especially if they feel no real attachment or commitment to the woman. BT was 22 and had not even completed his sophomore credits. He was not a strong student and obviously enjoyed drinking and playing the field, looking for his "flavor of the week." He was not ready to "settle down" and become accountable for a new life. Actually, few 22-year-old males are, even those who are strong students with bright futures ahead of them. I do think that if there was a pregnancy, it was a deal-breaker for him. He saw it as a "problem" that he needed to eliminate.

ITA. If (as speculated) there was indeed a pregnancy, then I do not think that abortion would have been the issue at hand. AK could have either arranged that for herself, privately and quietly, without having to involve BT, or if she did want to involve him - for emotional support, financial support or a combination of the two - then I can’t foresee that having being a problem. He may have found the emotional aspect tiresome, given what we think we know of his character, but friends / former roommates have stated that he openly bragged about family wealth and there being nothing that daddy couldn’t get him out of, so I don’t foresee the financial aspect having posed a potential problem.

I think that - speculation only - if there was indeed a pregnancy, then she wanted to keep it, and most likely for him to ‘step up’ and be a father to the child. Possibly even for him to marry her, based on what locals have related here about the culture for sorority girls at Ole Miss. Ultimately, whether to keep the child or not had to have been her decision - he wouldn’t have been able to force her to abort. There was only one way for him to decisively terminate that pregnancy... and that speaks volumes to me about motive. All JMO.

 

[Elliot_Alderson]

You guys are just speculating about pregnancy though, correct?

 

[borndem]

Welcome to Websleuths,
sparkleghost !!​

 

[borndem]

You guys are just speculating about pregnancy though, correct?

Yes, definitely speculating -- no news or announcement that she was or was not.
To some of us, it just seems to fit the scenario of what we've seen and read in MSM.

 

[justiceforwomen27]

Another little thought just hit me -- let's hope LE did a gunshot residue test on the suspect -- it doesn't sound like he did a lot of clean-up before he got on the road.
Let's hope for that little piece of evidence, too. Apparently, it only lasts about six hours, so he might luck out on it, but it can also be deposited on clothing. That, IMO, might be somewhat of a tuff get-around for him if it is if found (steering wheel, car door handle, belt, etc.), but he could always claim a bit of pistol practice, I guess.

Yes great thought! Was also thinking they will have a hard time selling a gang/attacker ambush in the dark if the bullets match his gun AND residue on him.

 

[Elliot_Alderson]

Yes, definitely speculating -- no news or announcement that she was or was not.
To some of us, it just seems to fit the scenario of what we've seen and read in MSM.

I definitely agree wholeheartedly but I just wanted to make sure I hadn't missed any sort of official statement.

 

[MinnyPin]

I just see hate. BT shooting AK that many times is hate. AK, from what I’ve read, didn’t have an ounce of hate in her whole body. It’s so sad she encountered this evil.

 

[claudianunes]

I find it really strange that he had nothing to say on social media about Ally being found dead.
For all intents and purposes, they were friends or even more than that at some point. And he was, allegedly, with her shortly before her being murder. With people with a big social media presence suddendly go quiet, it's usually a red flag.

 

[Gardener1850]

Did they already have a funeral for Ally? I can't help thinking that if she was pregnant that would have been revealed publically by now. Wouldn't her family have wanted to honor the life of the baby in a memorial service as well? If the family didn't know that would surprise me. Would LE really keep pregnancy a secret from her family when releasing her body to them and/or would her family really continue to keep a pregnancy quiet if they knew about it?

MOO

 

[oviedo]

Another little thought just hit me -- let's hope LE did a gunshot residue test on the suspect -- it doesn't sound like he did a lot of clean-up before he got on the road.
Let's hope for that little piece of evidence, too. Apparently, it only lasts about six hours, so he might luck out on it, but it can also be deposited on clothing. That, IMO, might be somewhat of a tuff get-around for him if it is if found (steering wheel, car door handle, belt, etc.), but he could always claim a bit of pistol practice, I guess.

and I'm thinking they also processed his vehicle? The area where her body was found processed as well IMO. So a gun found (fingerprints? residue? ballistics), bloody clothing, he is seen on video with her - I can't recall the time, but she was found very quickly IIRC. I don't think we are going to get any more information from LE - so we wait.... JMO

 

[JBMDC]

If he

Friday, July 19

• Kostial's "Introduction to Retail" summer school course had a test on Friday. She finished the exam before 1:15 p.m., the instructor said.
• Surveillance video showed Kostial in the Oxford Square the night (Friday, July 19) before authorities found her body about 30 miles from Oxford. Kostial was seen wearing a blue dress [shorts] and white jacket [blouse] and giving someone a hug around 11:52 p.m.
• According to the Oxford Eagle, Kostial exited Funkys Pizza & Daiquiri Bar. Once she left, Kostial stopped at the corner for several minutes before heading to Rooster’s Blue House, a popular place on the Oxford Square at Ole Miss.
• Kostial appeared to be waiting outside Roosters until an Uber minivan pulled up. She got in the van but it did not immediately take off. After roughly 30 seconds, the van pulled off, heading west on Jackson Avenue.

Saturday, July 20

• L R, Kostial’s roommate, said she arrived home around midnight to her apartment at the Retreat at Oxford, the Oxford Eagle reported. A roommate also said she was not sure when Kostial left the room again.
• Some media outlets reported other surveillance footage from early Saturday morning shows her at a convenience store near Harmontown. She was reportedly shown with a man who appears to be Theesfeld.
• Kostial's body was found at 10:23 a.m. Saturday by a Lafayette County Sheriff's Department deputy patrolling Buford’s Ridge in Harmontown, located in the northern portion of Lafayette County and 30 minutes away from Oxford.

Sunday, July 21

• Lafayette County Sheriff's Department confirmed in a statement the death and the identity of Kostial at 1:43 Sunday afternoon.
• The last Twitter activity from Brandon Theesfeld was Sunday, the day after Kostial's body was discovered. All of the tweets were retweets.
• A P, a student and close friend of Kostial, made a post on her Facebook page, saying her friend was the "most genuine and uplifting person" she ever knew

Monday, July 22

• Deputies from the Lafayette County Sheriff's Department and Memphis Police Department arrest Theesfeld around 9:30 a.m. Monday.
• Theesfeld’s cellphone and credit card led police to a gas station in South Memphis, where he was arrested. Surveillance photos from the gas station showed Theesfeld wearing an Ole Miss T-shirt as he entered the gas station on Monday, FOX 13 in Memphis reported.
• Theesfeld was booked into the Lafayette County Detention Center at 3:45 p.m.
• Lafayette County Coroner Rocky Kennedy said Monday that Kostial's body was sent to the state crime lab in Pearl for an autopsy. He declined to provide further details.

Tuesday, July 23

• Around 8:00 Tuesday morning, Theesfeld's name, "hold" was written under the charge line in the jail docket. The word, however, was crossed out and written above it in bold letters was the word "murder," according to the Oxford Eagle.
• The LCSD and the Mississippi Bureau of Investigations confirmed a statement at 11:08 Tuesday morning that Theesfeld was charged with the murder of Kostial.
• Theesfeld and his attorney Swayze Alford went before a circuit court judge Andrew Howorth for an initial appearance.
• Theesfeld was suspended from the university after his arrest.
• A friend of Kostial tweeted that her relationship with Theesfeld was a troubled one

Wednesday, July 24

• On social media, friends created a hashtag, #JusticeforAlly, while describing Kostial and the impact she had on the people and community around her.
• LCSD said no bond hearing was scheduled for Theesfeld.
• As of Wednesday afternoon, Theesfeld’s Twitter account was deactivated.
• Daniel Theesfeld, the father of Brandon, hired attorneys Steve and Tony Farese. Attorneys said Theesfeld plans to enter a not guilty plea.

Thursday, July 25

• A preliminary autopsy determined Kostial died from multiple gunshot wounds and ruled her death a homicide, according to the Lafayette County Sheriff’s Department.
• Friends and family gathered in St. Louis at 8 p.m. for a vigil for Kostial. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that nearly 100 people gathered Thursday outside Lindbergh High School where they passed around a microphone to share memories of Kostial. Friend Casey Hendrickson described Kostial as "always smiling, laughing and happy."
• Services for Kostial were planned for Friday at Concordia Kirkwood Lutheran Church in St. Louis. A public funeral service follows on Saturday at 10 a.m.
• Rex Ravita, Ole Miss student, said Theesfeld had 'no respect for women, according to FOX News.
• Surveillance video was released showing Kostial in the Square in Oxford on the night before her body was found.

Timeline: Details surrounding death of Ole Miss student Ally Kostial

https://www.oxfordeagle.com/2019/07/25/timeline-events-surrounding-the-death-of-ally-kostial/

What happened to Ally Kostial? Timeline of events begins to emerge

ETA: Discrepancy with clothes AK last seen wearing; edit names to initials by me for privacy.

Bumping the timeline for those who missed it.
Two recommended additions to the timeline:
1. Ally's father posted on Facebook on Sunday, July 21, that the family had been notified of Ally's death by a visit from the Sunset Hills MO police on Saturday afternoon. This is important because it shows how quickly she had been identified. (I think Mr. Kostial posted after Lafayette County released her name Sunday afternoon.)
<modsnip - family FB>
2. Lakeside Market has told reporters that deputies showed up there on Sunday to review the surveillance footage from early Saturday. Also shows how quickly they were on the trail.

Edited to add: We don't know precisely when, but at some point on Sunday or very early on Monday, investigators obtained a warrant to track Brandon Theesfeld's phone and bank card.

 

[Elliot_Alderson]

Did they already have a funeral for Ally? I can't help thinking that if she was pregnant that would have been revealed publically by now. Wouldn't her family have wanted to honor the life of the baby in a memorial service as well? If the family didn't know that would surprise me. Would LE really keep pregnancy a secret from her family when releasing her body to them and/or would her family really continue to keep a pregnancy quiet if they knew about it?

MOO

JMO, what you're saying makes a lot of sense, Gardener. I know how quickly rumors can spread and end up being presented as fact on WS so that's why I originally asked for clarification myself.

 

[mocity]

Did they already have a funeral for Ally? I can't help thinking that if she was pregnant that would have been revealed publically by now. Wouldn't her family have wanted to honor the life of the baby in a memorial service as well? If the family didn't know that would surprise me. Would LE really keep pregnancy a secret from her family when releasing her body to them and/or would her family really continue to keep a pregnancy quiet if they knew about it?

MOO

Services were this past Saturday

Alexandria Madison Kostial