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

[Blondiexoxo]

A far fetched thought but what if the ‘swat gear’ wasn’t a disguise as such, what if this person actually was or used to be in that line of work, or someone in their family was. If not, and it was indeed a disguise then where might one purchase a swat uniform? I think a lot could be learned by finding out where that swat uniform came from. JMO

 

[Cryptic]

A far fetched thought but what if the ‘swat gear’ wasn’t a disguise as such, what if this person actually was or used to be in that line of work, or someone in their family was. If not, and it was indeed a disguise then where might one purchase a swat uniform? I think a lot could be learned by finding out where that swat uniform came from. JMO

There are SWAT uniforms and then there is somewhat SWATish stuff.

Way back in the threads a member whose husband is a police officer and has a SWAT uniform stated that uniform the perpetrator is wearing did not appear to be from an issued set of high quality gear. Rather, it appeared to be an ad hoc mix and match collection of somewhat SWATish stuff.

SWAT gear is issued or purchased through police supply catalogs. Some of these catalogs maybe restricted to actual police officers. Others, however, are not. I remember that security officers at a former employer of mine liked the US Cavalry catalog as it sold high quality items, including SWAT.

Somewhat SWATish stuff can be found at some Army surplus stores and at larger swap meets (right next to the ninja weapons stand- or maybe the one selling survival knives and blowguns). Mix and match pieces can also be found on occasion in out doorsy "Misc. Guy Stuff" catalogs.

In regards to this crime and the possibility of sowewhat SWATish stuff, Traders Village in DFW would probably have a few vendors. So would the large swap meet in Canton.

 

[CocoChanel]

Church surveillance video

These are my IMHO comments/questions prompted by reviewing the video again after all this time:
- perp does not seem in a hurry, walking casually through the halls.
- can’t watch it without commenting on the ‘duck walk’ gait of the perp, verrrry distinctive I think.
- perp seems to WANT to get into all the doors being checked, but checked for WHAT?
- when perp enters through the first unlocked door we see, is he/she bringing out something like a hammer when reentering the hall?
- when one of the doors appears to be locked perp pauses there and seems to be looking for keys to try to open it, but is unsuccessful.
- why does the perp decide to break the glass on the first door or structure after coming through the entrance into another hall? While we can’t see exactly what is being broken, we can see glass falling around the perp.
- when I have ever bundled up for cold weather like a ski-trip or snow day, with multi-layers of protection, my range of motion is reduced significantly, and I am not as adept physically as I would be unencumbered. That does not seem to play a factor in this perp committing this heinous crime while wearing layers of SWAT gear. He/she seem unconcerned that they might have a huge fight on their hands when coming upon poor Missy. But I guess swinging a weapon of some sort on an unsuspecting and most likely paralyzingly terrified victim would give a criminal confidence. UGH.

This case is maddening. If it was someone who knew Missy, who would assumedly NOT be a hardened criminal, how have they eluded ID and capture by LE? Just plain old dumb luck? So frustrating to think that is the case here.

 

[Razz]

If it was an intruder, why not leave when he/she saw MB's headlights coming up the road. Why would an intruder want to tussle with someone unexpectantly?

Could be the Swat perp was inside the interior part of the church and never saw MB's truck lights. But, because of the location of the long driveway up to the church, and the large glass entrance, it seems unlikely that her headlights would have been missed.

 

[JnRyan]

Video: Texas Murder Victim's Family Speaks Out
Transcript for Texas Murder Victim's Family Speaks Out
We'll begin with new details in that chilling murder of a fitness instructor at a Texas church. The suspect seen on that surveillance tape dressed in swath gear and the victim's family is now speaking out. ABC's Ryan smith has the latest. Good morning, Ryan. Reporter: Good morning, George. You know, you talk about Missy Bevers, the mother of three, killed but at the same time her family now coming forward speaking out asking those who know the killer to please come forward and turn that person in. Was this masked murderer caught on camera ominously dressed in tactical gear targeting fitness instructor Missy Bevers? This morning as the manhunt intensifies her family says they believe it just wasn't a tragic case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Bevers' mother-in-law, Marsha tucker says she believes the killer may have tracked the fitness instructor's movement on social media. The person probably knew by looking at her Facebook just seeing what time, that's how she showed her other boot campers, you know, what time the classes started, whoever knew she gets there early, they got there earlier. Reporter: The 45-year-old was last seen entering this church at 4:20 A.M. On April 18th. Setting up for a boot camp class. The suspected killer caught on surveillance video at 3:50 A.M. Dressed head to toe in police S.W.A.T. Gear. Students for her 5:00 A.M. Class discovering her murder. I can't tell whether the person is a man or woman. The police estimate the person is six foot tall but if you look at the mannerisms, how they walk, there's something distinctive there. Somebody has to be able to point this out. Reporter: But more than a week later, police aren't releasing any new leads or motives. The beloved wife and mother laid to rest on Saturday. Her family pleads for the killer to come forward. Tucker writing him or her an open letter on Facebook. You know who you are. Your husband, wife and family members know who you are. They know by your special walk. Give some honor back to your family. God will forgive you and we will forgive you. Now, Marsha says that Missy's daughters are doing better than expected. But that they're asking her how long they will be sad. She hasn't heard from police but she says she trusts them to do their job. As for the killer she says the anger is still there but that the family will, quote, forgive them in time. Got to be hard, though. Okay, Ryan, thanks very much. Thank you.
This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.

The family believes she was tracked on social media - i.e., targeted. Interesting because they may heard more from LE than we have heard. I can see that possibility, but I don't believe it is the most likely one. I think this was an intruder that if they had a grudge it was against the church and not Missy. The boot camp fitness class was usually held outdoors that time of year but due to the rainy weather was being held indoors. (Missy told everyone through Facebook about the change in advance. I don't know how private the FB was, though.) I believe this person was there to just cause some damage and then leave. The reason for the SWAT gear might have been because this person had been there before during a Sunday sermon and noticed the cameras inside - added "entertainment" value for this person when the church and LE view the footage. The location and time was also ideal for this. Very early in the morning when they didn't expect anyone to be there, church does not have residences very close to it and the road in front isn't really a residential road but a highway entering town. Hence less chance of being noticed by someone outside the church. If this was a targeted event I would have expected the killer to strategically stage themself in one of the rooms with a window to watch for Missy's vehicle instead of casually walking around? If this was a targeted event, why wouldn't the killer use a gun? Trying to kill someone up close with a blunt object just doesn't seem like it could be a sure thing if Missy throws what she has at the intruder and runs. And they are going to try to catch a fit person wearing light gym clothes while they have SWAT-type gear and boots? The location of the church and time makes it much more likely that a small caliber gun like a .22, .25 or even .32 would not be noticed. It was inside a semi- isolated structure with no immediate occupied structures nearby. At 0500 the sound of the gunshots would be muffled by (1) the closed church, (2) distance to nearest residences, (3) rainy weather and (4) closed automobiles passing by with the road noise/engine to mask the noise. I'll bet I could have emptied an 9-shot .22 revolver loaded with .22 shorts in that church at that time and no one would have been the wiser. I think it is likely this person was some young person pulling what they intended to be a prank. They encountered Missy - both of them surprised by the other - and struck Missy intending to incapacitate her. Striking someone on the head and hoping to render them unconscious without serious injury is not like in the movies.

Playing devil's advocate to my own theory. Did the killer know about the cameras outside covering the parking lot? If so, did they know they weren't working? Did they not bring a gun inside because in case they were caught they could just say they were pulling a prank on the church and the lack of a gun avoids more serious charges? (Some burglars don't carry one for this same reason.) Did this person not have access to a gun because they are a juvenile or young adult?

But all my theories and opinion. LE may have said otherwise to the family based on what they have not revealed.

 

[dotr]

These 2016 comments still resonate with me in 2021, imo. rbbm.
Former Officer Suggests More Was Going On Than Burglary In Midlothian Church, Oak Farms Dairy
April 18, 2016 rbbm.
''MIDLOTHIAN (CBS11) – A murder suspect’s strange behavior and SWAT costume are raising questions questions about the motive behind a deadly church break-in.''

“It is going to raise the awareness of the police department that there may be something more here than just a burglary or even a murder. Something else was going on here and they’re going to try to uncover it.”

 

[ilovewings]

Glad this thread is open. I think about this case from time to time and ponder how they could have the killer on video and yet be so in the dark as to be unable to identify this person in any way. Hoping and praying this case gets solved.

 

[TTF14]

I think it was so unusual at the time to have video of the suspect but not be able to ID them. Since then we had the Delphi murders and the Elizabeth Barraza murder that also have video of the suspects in both of those cases and still no ID. It defies any of my personal logic that this can’t be solved, along with the other 2.

And it's going to happen over and over from now on because of masks.

 

[Tippy Lynn]

Glad to see this thread open for discussion again. This case is what brought me to WS. Hard to believe it's been 5 years.

If it was a buglar wouldn't they get in and get out? The swat perp in this case wasn't in any hurry and took his/her sweet time going through an entire building without taking anything.

I'm leaning towards MB being targeted.

 

[dub]

Video: Texas Murder Victim's Family Speaks Out
Transcript for Texas Murder Victim's Family Speaks Out
We'll begin with new details in that chilling murder of a fitness instructor at a Texas church. The suspect seen on that surveillance tape dressed in swath gear and the victim's family is now speaking out. ABC's Ryan smith has the latest. Good morning, Ryan. Reporter: Good morning, George. You know, you talk about Missy Bevers, the mother of three, killed but at the same time her family now coming forward speaking out asking those who know the killer to please come forward and turn that person in. Was this masked murderer caught on camera ominously dressed in tactical gear targeting fitness instructor Missy Bevers? This morning as the manhunt intensifies her family says they believe it just wasn't a tragic case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Bevers' mother-in-law, Marsha tucker says she believes the killer may have tracked the fitness instructor's movement on social media. The person probably knew by looking at her Facebook just seeing what time, that's how she showed her other boot campers, you know, what time the classes started, whoever knew she gets there early, they got there earlier. Reporter: The 45-year-old was last seen entering this church at 4:20 A.M. On April 18th. Setting up for a boot camp class. The suspected killer caught on surveillance video at 3:50 A.M. Dressed head to toe in police S.W.A.T. Gear. Students for her 5:00 A.M. Class discovering her murder. I can't tell whether the person is a man or woman. The police estimate the person is six foot tall but if you look at the mannerisms, how they walk, there's something distinctive there. Somebody has to be able to point this out. Reporter: But more than a week later, police aren't releasing any new leads or motives. The beloved wife and mother laid to rest on Saturday. Her family pleads for the killer to come forward. Tucker writing him or her an open letter on Facebook. You know who you are. Your husband, wife and family members know who you are. They know by your special walk. Give some honor back to your family. God will forgive you and we will forgive you. Now, Marsha says that Missy's daughters are doing better than expected. But that they're asking her how long they will be sad. She hasn't heard from police but she says she trusts them to do their job. As for the killer she says the anger is still there but that the family will, quote, forgive them in time. Got to be hard, though. Okay, Ryan, thanks very much. Thank you.
This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.

BBM now they're saying the killer is 6'0 tall? I thought the most recent range was 5'2-5'7, and early on they had a third range right? I don't remember exactly what it was, maybe something like 5'7-5'10?

Where did that come from, and how are they having such a hard time narrowing the height to less than a 10 inch spread despite all the video?

(For what it's worth, and I'm hardly an expert in this, but he definitely looks to me like he's around 5'9-5'10" and I will be surprised if he ends up being too far off of that).

ETA: I just realized I reflexively said "he", I do strongly believe this was a man and always have, but I'm certainly not 100% on that.

 

[dotr]

And it's going to happen over and over from now on because of masks.

Hopefully not..
Jan 2021
Facial recognition: Now algorithms can see through face masks | ZDNet
''The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is piloting facial recognition technologies that can see through face masks with a "promising" level of accuracy, meaning that travelers could end up breezing through airports without the need to uncover their mouths and noses at border checks. ''
''This year, in response to the new imperatives brought by the COVID-19 pandemic, the rally has focused on evaluating the ability of AI systems to reliably collect and match images of individuals wearing an array of different face masks, with a view of eventually deploying the technology in international airports around the country. ''

''Volunteers were asked to present themselves both masked and unmasked. On average, said the DHS, the different AI systems correctly identified 93% of unmasked individuals; for those wearing a mask, the identification rate reached an average of 77%.''
Facial recognition identifies people wearing masks

image copyrightGetty Images
image captionThe system hones in on uncovered features such as eyes
''Verification takes less than one second, with an accuracy rate of more than 99.9%, NEC says.''

''Before the coronavirus pandemic, facial-recognition algorithms failed to identify 20-50% of images of people wearing face masks, according to a report from the National Institute of Standards and Technology.

But by the end of 2020, it reported a vast improvement in accuracy.''


The Met Police uses NEC's NeoFace Live Facial Recognition to compare faces in a crowd with those on a watchlist.

 

[Kittybunny]

Glad to see this thread open for discussion again. This case is what brought me to WS. Hard to believe it's been 5 years.

If it was a burglar wouldn't they get in and get out? The swat perp in this case wasn't in any hurry and took his/her sweet time going through an entire building without taking anything.

I'm leaning towards MB being targeted.

Me too. While church burglaries are all too common thanks to the opioid epidemic, usually these types of robberies are quick break and grabs of whatever is going to be the quickest route to cash - the collection plate, equipment, whatever. They may cover their face but a leisurely stroll all around the premises while in full on SWAT gear with nothing (that we know of) of value taken? No, I don't think it was a robbery.

I also think, like Elizabeth Barraza, that the location and time of the crime requires very specific knowledge of the victims whereabouts and plans. While in today's world of living our lives on social media, that information is much more readily available, I still don't think this was a random predator who stalks 430am fitness classes in the hopes of getting an instructor off guard.

IMO opinion, whoever killed Missy knew her and targeted her, or was directed by someone who did. Whoever did it though, certainly did not seemingly leave a digital trail that has yet been discovered.

 

[JnRyan]

These 2016 comments still resonate with me in 2021, imo. rbbm.
Former Officer Suggests More Was Going On Than Burglary In Midlothian Church, Oak Farms Dairy
April 18, 2016 rbbm.
''MIDLOTHIAN (CBS11) – A murder suspect’s strange behavior and SWAT costume are raising questions questions about the motive behind a deadly church break-in.''

“It is going to raise the awareness of the police department that there may be something more here than just a burglary or even a murder. Something else was going on here and they’re going to try to uncover it.”

I wonder if he isn't thinking along the same lines as my theory above.

 

[Oregonmama]

These 2016 comments still resonate with me in 2021, imo. rbbm.
Former Officer Suggests More Was Going On Than Burglary In Midlothian Church, Oak Farms Dairy
April 18, 2016 rbbm.
''MIDLOTHIAN (CBS11) – A murder suspect’s strange behavior and SWAT costume are raising questions questions about the motive behind a deadly church break-in.''

“It is going to raise the awareness of the police department that there may be something more here than just a burglary or even a murder. Something else was going on here and they’re going to try to uncover it.”

Corruption and unfortunately I think Missy knew something. I don't think this was a scorned spouse or lover event. JMO

 

[watcher9]

I was hoping for some breaking news when I saw the thread was being opened up again but not so. At least we are able to have a discussion on this case with a brand new thread.

If I remember correctly, the killer came in the church through a broken lock door in the back of the church and Missy came in the church through the front door to unlock the right side door next to her vehicle under the carport. The lights of her vehicle should have lit up both sides of the church when she approached and then did she make a u-turn to pull under the carport where her car lights would have lit up the back of the church? If she saw a vehicle, would that have put her on alert? None of the outside cameras worked to show if her lights reflected on a car owned by the killer? So we don't know if he walked or drove to the church or was dropped off??

 

[JnRyan]

I was hoping for some breaking news when I saw the thread was being opened up again but not so. At least we are able to have a discussion on this case with a brand new thread.

If I remember correctly, the killer came in the church through a broken lock door in the back of the church and Missy came in the church through the front door to unlock the right side door next to her vehicle under the carport. The lights of her vehicle should have lit up both sides of the church when she approached and then did she make a u-turn to pull under the carport where her car lights would have lit up the back of the church? If she saw a vehicle, would that have put her on alert? None of the outside cameras worked to show if her lights reflected on a car owned by the killer? So we don't know if he walked or drove to the church or was dropped off??

I tend to believe they parked behind the church and drove off. But you're right, without those outside cameras working they could have been riding a mountain bike for all we know. In fact, if they walked off could they have walked out the back and into the residential neighborhoods behind the church. That would have been quite a walk, though as there is a small airport directly behind the church to the NE. Nearest residential subdivision looks like a mile due east as the crow flies. I would have thought a tracking dog could have solved that, though.

 

[watcher9]

I tend to believe they parked behind the church and drove off. But you're right, without those outside cameras working they could have been riding a mountain bike for all we know. In fact, if they walked off could they have walked out the back and into the residential neighborhoods behind the church. That would have been quite a walk, though as there is a small airport directly behind the church to the NE. Nearest residential subdivision looks like a mile due east as the crow flies. I would have thought a tracking dog could have solved that, though.

I can't imagine walking off wearing the uniform, but a change of clothes? Put in a backpack or hidden under his disguise? Could the helmet be used on a motorcycle?

 

[Cortne]

Especially with all that video of the car!! No license plate at all ???

Was it in fact determined there is no plate on the car? I cannot recall and find it crazy w all the car video, nothing can be seen. imo jmo

 

[chaz]

Was it in fact determined there is no plate on the car? I cannot recall and find it crazy w all the car video, nothing can be seen. imo jmo

There was a licence plate but it was unreadable.

 

[JnRyan]

I can't imagine walking off wearing the uniform, but a change of clothes? Put in a backpack or hidden under his disguise? Could the helmet be used on a motorcycle?

I always thought it actually was a motorcycle helmet and the intruder wore it to simulate a SWAT-type helmet. But that is just my take on it.