In a hearing Friday afternoon, chief public defender Corbin Brewster said he learned from the evidence-gathering process in the case that a detective who worked on the investigation apparently received information from an employee at a local auction business indicating Bevers sister kept a journal that documented physical abuse within the familys residence.
The Bevers estate had previously authorized the release for auction of a series of items, primarily electronics, that investigators didnt explicitly mark as having evidentiary value.
The auction employee, according to Brewster, notified the detective in 2016 that the items were set for sale in the event police wanted to review them, which he said was when he believed the detective became aware of the notebook and abuse claims.
Brewster told the court that officers inspected a notebook last year that matched the description of the journal provided by the employee and reported it was evident pages were missing because of paper caught inside the spiral. As a result, he said he had serious concerns over the possible mishandling or destruction of evidence and asked District Judge Sharon Holmes to set a hearing in which the detective would testify about the issue.
