TX - Terri 'Missy' Bevers, 45, killed in church/suspect in SWAT gear, Midlothian, 18 Apr 2016 #47

[SteveS]

A bit more about Chris Kyle. He and Missy both were fitness trainers so it wouldn't be surprising if they knew each other or had some other professional link(s). I searched the thread archives and there really hasn't been any discussion of Kyle apart from this description of a local comparing the community responses shortly after each homicide. I don't have a theory on what relevance this might have apart from the ARG/geocache gone wrong hypothesis.
TX - Terri 'Missy' Bevers,45, murdered in church/person in SWAT gear,18 Apr 2016 #16

People bump into people. So Missy and Kyle could have "crossed paths" or even met at some point, although Midlothian is part of a massively-populated world (the DFW area) rather than a small, isolated community where people who live there would necessarily have ties to everyone else.

But re the fitness angle, I don't know exact timeline specifics of her life history, but my sense is that Missy was not likely to have crossed paths with Kyle in the fitness biz because their "when" and "who" were so different. Kyle's death was more than 3 years earlier than hers. It also seems like his business was a selective world/clientele of military and ex-military people, while hers was suburban families and soccer moms.

In any event, there's nothing similar about their deaths at all, other than they were both murdered.

 

[Cryptic]

I'm on team Targeted.

I used to be a firm member of team targeted. But.... I am experiencing doubts. A targeted motive needs a reason to target.

The victim's uhmm... "extracurricular activities" have good possibilities: a dispute within a circle over real or perceived rule violations, changed expectations, older fashioned jealousy. Likewise, a possible motive from outside a circle. Say, a perceived threat to a marriage- or even a friend’s marriage.

Yet.... in all probability those motives have been fully investigated. My guess is that the police have a good knowledge of circle dynamics, contacts outside the circle, and have looked for "red flag" individuals who both knew about a contact" and would also be prone to come unhinged. .

A vigilante targeting the victim out of opposition to her lifestyle? Possible, but the victim did not advertise her involvement, did not openly promote and was not a figure head.

A business rivalry? Possible, but the trudging and less than athletically graceful figure just does not look gladiator instructors. Camp Gladiator groups are evidently dispersed enough to reduce rivalries.

A jilted gladiator? Possible, but gladiator groups seem small. A very troubled ex gladiator would probably be recognized, even in "SWAT" disguise.

In short.... with no headway on the targeted possibilities, the untargeted becomes more attractive to me. An ARG game participant seems strange and remote. Yet.... it seems attractive in some respects:

Players do not need to be in the game's locale, some games involve investigations of threats etc. Participants can be formal, or spontaneous. They may, or may not know each other. The figure seems cartoonish in some respects. Enters the church- but then does not really do anything. Perhaps a gamer unsure of next "scene"?

 

[johnnyringo]

The victim's uhmm... "extracurricular activities" have good possibilities: a dispute within a circle over real or perceived rule violations, changed expectations, older fashioned jealousy. Likewise, a possible motive from outside a circle. Say, a perceived threat to a marriage- or even a friend’s marriage.

Yet.... in all probability those motives have been fully investigated. My guess is that the police have a good knowledge of circle dynamics, contacts outside the circle, and have looked for "red flag" individuals who both knew about a contact" and would also be prone to come unhinged. .

A vigilante targeting the victim out of opposition to her lifestyle? Possible, but the victim did not advertise her involvement, did not openly promote and was not a figure head.

A business rivalry? Possible, but the trudging and less than athletically graceful figure just does not look gladiator instructors. Camp Gladiator groups are evidently dispersed enough to reduce rivalries.

A jilted gladiator? Possible, but gladiator groups seem small. A very troubled ex gladiator would probably be recognized, even in "SWAT" disguise.

In short.... with no headway on the targeted possibilities, the untargeted becomes more attractive to me. An ARG game participant seems strange and remote. Yet.... it seems attractive in some respects:

Players do not need to be in the game's locale, some games involve investigations of threats etc. Participants can be formal, or spontaneous. They may, or may not know each other. The figure seems cartoonish in some respects. Enters the church- but then does not really do anything. Perhaps a gamer unsure of next "scene"?[/QUOTE]

Interesting analysis. I used to be a "burglary gone bad" believer but I now lean toward Missy being targeted. I believe Swat perp was targeting her for a kidnapping and sexual assault probably ultimately ending in murder. I think SP was someone unknown to Missy who was stalking her.

I just don't understand why someone would dress in that gear and bring a gun to a burglary where they did not expect to run into anyone. I think the purpose of the swat outfit was to allow SP to get close to Missy and offered protection if she fought back. However, my belief is that she fought SP harder than he anticipated and she probably began to get away from him so he shot her and fled.

 

[Curious_in_NC]

OK, here's another idea related to the "grossly misinterpreted game" hypothesis.
GC4Y10F In memory of Chris Kyle "The Devil of Ramadi" (Unknown Cache) in Luxembourg created by Ironjang666

I created a geocaching account so I could look at this archived challenge. Nearly every comment there was written in what looked like Luxembourgish. So it really was hidden in Luxembourg and I doubt even a bad translation would have led anyone to the church in Texas. I'll keep looking at the ARG angle. I agree with @Cryptic, there's something cartoonish about SP's mannerisms, like they're just going through the motions as if they're in a game.

 

[Kaley Smith]

I think it was targeted and personal. What stands out to me is how casually the killer strolls around in the video. Smashing glass which makes a lot of noise is pretty nervy and bold in my opinion. Have LE or body language experts drawn up any kind of profile for this person? Or was that stroll through the church on the video a lot of acting to throw off investigators?

 

[SteveS]

I think it was targeted and personal. What stands out to me is how casually the killer strolls around in the video. Smashing glass which makes a lot of noise is pretty nervy and bold in my opinion.

You make a good point about the noise and the audacity of being noisy. Was the noise and damage merely incidental to what perp was otherwise trying to do? Or were those things somewhat the point?

When I go down the "targeted" path, I often consider the idea that the target might have been the church, not Missy. This idea of intentional noise and damage, ie a brazen assault on the place of worship (and, by extension, the people who worship there), is a somewhat different angle to consider.

Personally, I tend to see the noise and damage as incidental to what perp was otherwise trying to do, and as being no more than was "necessary" to those tasks. But it's a good question to consider - what if they were the intended point?

Then with Missy, what if, when she entered unexpectedly, she was simply seen as another way to inflict damage on the church that the perp hated? Or what if the perp was there to kill the first people through the doors, expecting it to be someone on the staff?

 

[Wokesleuth]

She had puncture wounds to her head and chest consistent with the tools seen being carried.
Missy Bevers Died From Multiple Puncture Wounds to Head and Chest: Police
You can see the PERP carrying the hammer in the video, I don't believe there are any visible guns.
Not using a gun IMO also points to this being highly targeted and thought out, stealth tactics, timing, disguising Identity, these are all things that had to have been thought out irregardless of if MB "knew" this monster I believe they knew her.

 

[Wokesleuth]

She had puncture wounds to her head and chest consistent with the tools seen being carried.
Missy Bevers Died From Multiple Puncture Wounds to Head and Chest: Police
You can see the PERP carrying the hammer in the video, I don't believe there are any visible guns.
Not using a gun IMO also points to this being highly targeted and thought out, stealth tactics, timing, disguising Identity, these are all things that had to have been thought out irregardless of if MB "knew" this monster I believe they knew her.

my response is directly above this post. sorry i had trouble formatting quotes in quotes and it is late.
I was just responding to the thought that she was shot or that a gun was involved.

 

[Laughing]

Not looking for it, but a national LE database of crimes shows one death on Midlothian, Texas on this date -- gunshot wound. Posted upthread by a reliable poster.

Local LE is imho being intentionally vague stating 'puncture wound,' possibly out of respect for the deceased & the family. This family has been through the ringer, imho.

jmho ymmv lrr

 

[SteveS]

She had puncture wounds to her head and chest consistent with the tools seen being carried.
Missy Bevers Died From Multiple Puncture Wounds to Head and Chest: Police
You can see the PERP carrying the hammer in the video, I don't believe there are any visible guns.
Not using a gun IMO also points to this being highly targeted and thought out, stealth tactics, timing, disguising Identity, these are all things that had to have been thought out irregardless of if MB "knew" this monster I believe they knew her.

In prior discussions here, at great length, this has been well discussed. You might want to go back and peruse to get all the exact points.

But the main ones
(1) a bullet that punctures the skin is a "puncture wound" - so LE can describe it that way, and listeners get the wrong idea, even though what was said was technically correct,
(2) LE does not say tool(s) that the death is "consistent with" were "seen," but only that they were carried, which perhaps is more tricky wording to leave listeners with the true words but the wrong idea,
(3) local LE never said how she died, which might tell us they didn't want the public to know, and
(4) LE says in their records, which we discovered several years later without LE telling us, she died from a gunshot wound. That should be the bottom line.

 

[dizzychick]

Occam's Razor

 

[DeDee]

In prior discussions here, at great length, this has been well discussed. You might want to go back and peruse to get all the exact points.

But the main ones
(1) a bullet that punctures the skin is a "puncture wound" - so LE can describe it that way, and listeners get the wrong idea, even though what was said was technically correct,
(2) LE does not say tool(s) that the death is "consistent with" were "seen," but only that they were carried, which perhaps is more tricky wording to leave listeners with the true words but the wrong idea,
(3) local LE never said how she died, which might tell us they didn't want the public to know, and
(4) LE says in their records, which we discovered several years later without LE telling us, she died from a gunshot wound. That should be the bottom line.

"(2) LE does not say tool(s) that the death is "consistent with" were "seen," but only that they were carried, which perhaps is more tricky wording to leave listeners with the true words but the wrong idea,"

The warrant issued late in the afternoon of April 19 and obtained May 3, states that Bevers "had multiple puncture wounds found on her head and chest" that "are consistent with tools the suspect was carrying throughout the building."

Hence, Missy suffered multiple puncture wounds that came from the tools the suspect was carrying. LEO does not say that we can see the tools that caused these wounds; only that the killer carried tools that are consistent with Missy's puncture wounds.
.

 

[crazychris]

Quick question. Am In London, UK and have followed this case from the beginning, here and elsewhere. Am sure I read that the fire dept.arrived several minutes before the police. Would they go in first, bearing in mind that a killer could still be inside, or be ordered to wait for the armed cops? Think I read 7 min for fire Dept as they were closer and 10 or 11 for MPD.

 

[SteveS]

I'm sure the PD and the FD have a specified procedure they follow. Someone from the Midlothian or Ellis Co FD could tell us for sure.

But obviously there was no active shooting or apparent presence of a perp in there to deal with. That changes things, of course. Without those, if they think there is even a possibility of helping her, time is of the essence, so it seems like they'd need to go right in. Others (the ones who found her) would have already been in there too.

If not, and she is clearly already dead-dead, they still probably had to at least go make that determination, before backing away and staying away until police arrive, for investigative purposes.

Part of that in case perp is still present, of course, but also to keep from contaminating evidence at a crime scene.

 

[crazychris]

I'm sure the PD and the FD have a specified procedure they follow. Someone from the Midlothian or Ellis Co FD could tell us for sure.

But obviously there was no active shooting or apparent presence of a perp in there to deal with. That changes things, of course. Without those, if they think there is even a possibility of helping her, time is of the essence, so it seems like they'd need to go right in. Others (the ones who found her) would have already been in there too.

If not, and she is clearly already dead-dead, they still probably had to at least go make that determination, before backing away and staying away until police arrive, for investigative purposes.

Part of that in case perp is still present, of course, but also to keep from contaminating evidence at a crime scene.

Thanks.

 

[txsleuth70]

She had puncture wounds to her head and chest consistent with the tools seen being carried.
Missy Bevers Died From Multiple Puncture Wounds to Head and Chest: Police
You can see the PERP carrying the hammer in the video, I don't believe there are any visible guns.
Not using a gun IMO also points to this being highly targeted and thought out, stealth tactics, timing, disguising Identity, these are all things that had to have been thought out irregardless of if MB "knew" this monster I believe they knew her.

Has it been said if she was sexually assaulted or not? If so, I've forgotten. Has it been said if the gun was hers or not?

 

[SteveS]

No mention by anyone at any time that there's any evidence of sexual attack.

She did possess a gun, which was hers. Her gun was (a) found to be still in her truck, and (b) also determined not the cause of death.

 

[Cryptic]

Occam's Razor

Usually a very good approach. Cause of death aside, and in regards to Occam Razor for the motive....

If Occam's Razor is cutting through the fabric of the uhmmm....."extracurricular activities", it seems to be getting dull.

My guess is that the police have investigated "circle couples" and also, "side contacts" for red flag individuals- especially those with unusual gaits and who are seemingly not very athletic (figure appears to be trudging under the relative weight of the SWATish stuff).

Yet, no suspect has been identified. One solution maybe to re sharpen the razor and cut deeper into the fabric of the extracurricular activities.

Then with Missy, what if, when she entered unexpectedly, she was simply seen as another way to inflict damage on the church that the perp hated?

Or what if the perp was there to kill the first people through the doors, expecting it to be someone on the staff?

Or, its time to sell the antique razor on Ebay- then go on to the "less likely" possibilities.

This possibility seems potentially very promising.

I have seen second hand several times that internal church divisions can get nasty: Suddenly ousting a long term pastor who had built the church through the lean years. Firing anybody on the staff who even mildly supported a pastor over say, the board.

One friend of mine's "crime": Playing praise music favored by the pastor of faction "B" over that of faction A's pastor. Thus.... terminated with extreme prejudice (been on staff for years, multi generation family attendance) upon A's victory.

I wonder if the church had suffered an internal split or conflict of some sort?

 

[crazychris]

With regard to the above, why kill Missy though and not the person who has aggrieved you, say a pastor or church employee? Missy only held a class there. If say someone didn't want her exercise class there I don't see that as a strong enough reason for such a violent murder.

 

[Cryptic]

With regard to the above, why kill Missy though and not the person who has aggrieved you, say a pastor or church employee?

Missy only held a class there. If say someone didn't want her exercise class there I don't see that as a strong enough reason for such a violent murder.

A good question. I think @SteveS has a plausible answer:

With this possible motive, the assailant could of had a:

A- Personal grudge against the church as a whole.

If so, this would probably be over an olde fashioned respect / disrespect issue rather than a theological dispute. In my experience, a good sized majority of church goers, regardless of denomination, do not go that deep into theology other than the "talking points" of their particular denomination to develop strong views on the finer points.

B- Was on the losing side of a church dispute regarding pastorship, staff, board, or a combination of all three.

Perhaps they entered for just a little pointless "get even" vandalism, or maybe to demonstrate to them that they are vulnerable, not "all powerful" etc. .

The assailant then presumes that as Missy was there before hours, she must either be a parishioner (thus represent the church) or be a replacement staff member. Things then go from low level vandalism or "showing 'em up" to impulsive murder.