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

[Gumshoe Stories]

That's the problem with security systems. Once you own them, you have to be prepared to service them.
Ever see a convenience store robbery and murder where the cops ask the owner where the security cameras are and the owners quickly point them out.
"Great! Can we see the footage?"
"Well, no. Its been out of order for two weeks."
Drives the detectives crazy.

Thanks again for the church link.

The church had more issues than just that. They only had 4 cameras (2 at each of two corners, none at the other two corners). And they didn’t have them calibrated correctly, so they would shut off too early or turn on too late. The interior at this church has always been Spartan. No frills. That trickled down to the security system unfortunately. And it has to be fairly unusual for a commercial building or church to have cameras, yet no alarm system. I could see it being the other way around, but if you’re going to invest in cameras then why would you not also have an alarm?

They upgraded their security and they now have an alarm system. But last year they still had a very expensive charger for a golf cart battery stolen. Better cameras, got a much better picture, but still they were unable to identify the subject or make an arrest.

 

[acehard]

Better cameras, got a much better picture, but still they were unable to identify the subject or make an arrest.

Were they also wearing police riot gear?


Security is always seen as an extra cost until something bad happens. Most businesses invest the least amount to meet insurance requirements.

 

[TheGardener]

The church had more issues than just that. They only had 4 cameras (2 at each of two corners, none at the other two corners). And they didn’t have them calibrated correctly, so they would shut off too early or turn on too late. The interior at this church has always been Spartan. No frills. That trickled down to the security system unfortunately. And it has to be fairly unusual for a commercial building or church to have cameras, yet no alarm system. I could see it being the other way around, but if you’re going to invest in cameras then why would you not also have an alarm?

A hard, and it seems ongoing, lesson to learn at an incalculable cost.
We live in the age of HD and 4K, yet many surveillance videos look blurry, out of focus, and are ultimately useless.
This is valuable info. Thanks.

 

[TheGardener]

I took on the role of burglar today and spent some time visiting the Facebook pages of The Creekside Church. I mentally deleted every human being in the posted photos and made myself a shopping list of all the pawnable merchandise I saw in the various rooms within the building. I won't list all of the items here, but it was a motherlode. SP could have filled up the back seat, passenger seat and trunk of a car with goodies ranging from small kitchen appliances through computer equipment to mid-range sound equipment and electronic instruments. A truck bed would have been filled to capacity, heaped up with enough stuff to look like someone was moving to a new residence. This church isn't a simple series of rooms, stripped down and made to look like an austere, meditative enclave. It is a world.

It is a world where delicacies are happily prepared in a fully outfitted kitchen, where adults and children bake holiday cakes and cookies together. There are rooms where toddlers are safely guarded while their parents attend services. Rooms where teenagers talk together. Rooms set aside for prayer. Rooms where elementary school aged kids ZOOM on laptops for storytime. Offices - the heart of this highly structured city where an all encompassing philosophy of life is it's spiritual, flowing blood. A believer or not, you cannot help but appreciate the organizational effort it must take to assure every single person, infant or adult, toddler or teenager is attended to. Nothing has been spared to create a world within a world, a world set apart from the perceived, worldly evils that might find some way to enter and disrupt it's sanctity. You can see the richness and reward, all of the joy, all of the productive work that a well managed community is. All of that and more is in those photos, if you are looking for it.

If you are a burglar, you see Valhalla, the Elysian Fields of loot...the treasures SP bypassed on their way to committing an act that brought a tsunami of disruption to that happy city and ended with the theft of only one thing - a life.

 

[Itsapuzzle]

Spontaneous random thought. I wonder why the police/FBI haven't released their enhanced quality images and CCTV of the SP to the public? What would be the reason for that? Surely their images would have more chance of getting the perp recognised by a member of the public, you would think, than the blurred images everyone's trying to work on improving. End of spontaneous random Monday Queen's Birthday afternoon thought.

 

[Ann99]

I continue to read and try to catch up on all discussions of this case .
When I first started googling various search terms, and had no background to evaluate what I was finding, I came across something that I can't find again.
I believe it was a podcast blog that had a still photo of a close up of the SP face.
It was a "light brightness glare" of the face showing eyes. It was very washed out.
Has anyone seen this? Is it legit? It may not be . idk.

 

[Gumshoe Stories]

I took on the role of burglar today and spent some time visiting the Facebook pages of The Creekside Church. I mentally deleted every human being in the posted photos and made myself a shopping list of all the pawnable merchandise I saw in the various rooms within the building. I won't list all of the items here, but it was a motherlode. SP could have filled up the back seat, passenger seat and trunk of a car with goodies ranging from small kitchen appliances through computer equipment to mid-range sound equipment and electronic instruments. A truck bed would have been filled to capacity, heaped up with enough stuff to look like someone was moving to a new residence. This church isn't a simple series of rooms, stripped down and made to look like an austere, meditative enclave. It is a world.

It is a world where delicacies are happily prepared in a fully outfitted kitchen, where adults and children bake holiday cakes and cookies together. There are rooms where toddlers are safely guarded while their parents attend services. Rooms where teenagers talk together. Rooms set aside for prayer. Rooms where elementary school aged kids ZOOM on laptops for storytime. Offices - the heart of this highly structured city where an all encompassing philosophy of life is it's spiritual, flowing blood. A believer or not, you cannot help but appreciate the organizational effort it must take to assure every single person, infant or adult, toddler or teenager is attended to. Nothing has been spared to create a world within a world, a world set apart from the perceived, worldly evils that might find some way to enter and disrupt it's sanctity. You can see the richness and reward, all of the joy, all of the productive work that a well managed community is. All of that and more is in those photos, if you are looking for it.

If you are a burglar, you see Valhalla, the Elysian Fields of loot...the treasures SP bypassed on their way to committing an act that brought a tsunami of disruption to that happy city and ended with the theft of only one thing - a life.

There are many burglars whose number one goal is hard cash. In the previous thread, the survey of incarcerated burglars I linked, it talks about that. A lot of burglars are trying to survive to the next day and are often unemployed and/or supporting an addiction. They need money. Many of the things you mention are not easily convertible into cash. Many of the things you mention are going to get the burglar busted if he or she tries.

 

[Ann99]

I just heard an interview with John Kelly (The renowned criminal profiler) and he said something very interesting. He suggested that SP might have been angry at the church, it's leadership, what it represented to them. Has this been discussed? Has the church leadership been forthcoming or have they circled the wagons and taken the "its not a church matter" route?

Is it possible that SP might have had some interaction with the church? Did SP have a special need that was either dismissed or outright rejected? Do they do youth and family counseling there? Could the burglary/vandalism be payback for being made to feel belittled or insignificant?

Some religious institutions promise love, help and sensitivity to human problems, but when it comes to actually acting on those promises, they don't. That's a massive form of hypocrisy and rejection that might translate to revenge or retribution by anyone made a victim of it. You destroyed MY world, so I'm gonna destroy YOURS.

I've bolded a few sentences of your post.
This is a different approach and I think it merits some discussion.
I add to it my slow but steady developing thought that SP had some kind of mental and physical defect. Basically what we called retarded years ago before all political correctness. Yet, SP got away with this un detected.

The unusual gait, the crazy costuming, the wandering (seemingly) aimlessly, not recognizing a dutch door ...

I know it is a different thought, feel free to comment and disagree.

 

[TheGardener]

There are many burglars whose number one goal is hard cash. In the previous thread, the survey of incarcerated burglars I linked, it talks about that. A lot of burglars are trying to survive to the next day and are often unemployed and/or supporting an addiction. They need money. Many of the things you mention are not easily convertible into cash. Many of the things you mention are going to get the burglar busted if he or she tries.

The point is, in lieu of material gain, SP stole nothing but a human life.

I know there are burglars who have preferences as to what they'd rather steal or fence.
Some won't have anything less than a safe full of diamonds, a sack of cash or a cocaine stash they can turn around. Some are happy with a laptop they can sell to a buddy in the school cafeteria during lunch period or swap for dirt bike parts. Nobody knows SP's preference. Still, SP stole nothing.

SP is an unsophisticated, uninspiring, gimpy burglar who chose being a pseudo cop for an occasion when a ski mask would do. He could have chosen a business suit or a bunny costume with fashionable balaklava. His preferred role of the evening was cop. Cop doing a B&E. Really over the top. Maybe he thinks cops are above the law and can get away with anything. Maybe SP's father is a maladjusted, bully cop who disdains having a gimpy teenage boy for a son and has made his life a living hell over it. Maybe, SP has assumed the role of his entitled, bully cop father for the occasion. All of that irresistible authority. Maybe not. Ask SP. He's the guy with the answer.

It is, nonetheless, a charade. SP the unknown boogeyman, pulling one over on everyone else. Powerful stuff that might easily become an addiction. All of that adrenaline pumping through your brain. Its been five years. Was SP scared straight, or emboldened and thrilled by his apparent success at evading capture? Has SP escalated their exploits, adjusted their technique? Has SP developed a nagging paranoia, waiting for that knock on the door? Does SP stalk these very message boards, fearful someone just might figure him out, get it right and add another thread to the fabric of their capture? Or emboldened, because everyone here is all over the map and nowhere near figuring them out? Again, ask SP.

SP maneuvered themself into the death penalty zone. No matter what SP thinks of themself, that's the end of SP's line, his punched ticket to total oblivion. That fact is laying on his brain as the coldest, most final reality a human being can look forward to. Despite whatever SP thinks of cops, they're now able to find and arrest criminals whose crimes happened 10, 20, 30, 40, even 50 years ago. Pretty daunting stuff when you have bloody murder in your pocket. If there's any way for SP to disburden themself of this stark reality, this mountainous faceless entity coming for him, this frightening end to their life - it is confession.

Confession turns your hapless state into a whole new ballgame. Its a powerful negotiating tool within the criminal justice system. It can magically transform a death sentence into a life sentence! Just think of the power to flip the switch from your assured death to assured life! You get to live, because you confessed. I've seen cops shake the hands of confessed killers and thank them for having the courage to admit their crime and restore order where chaos once was. SP should do that. The truth can set SP free.

 

[monkeyboy13]

Nothing stolen, no burglary.

Who, statistically, is most likely to be responsible?

Who benefitted financially?

There are no known to the public suspects.

JMHO.

 

[acehard]

Spontaneous random thought. I wonder why the police/FBI haven't released their enhanced quality images and CCTV of the SP to the public? What would be the reason for that? Surely their images would have more chance of getting the perp recognised by a member of the public, you would think, than the blurred images everyone's trying to work on improving. End of spontaneous random Monday Queen's Birthday afternoon thought.

This is what I'm saying as well. They got NASA to help in the Lori Ann Auker case to enhance surveillance photos because they had connections. If there are higher resolution media, it might help if they release them. There might be technology that can help.

 

[JnRyan]

The point is, in lieu of material gain, SP stole nothing but a human life.

I know there are burglars who have preferences as to what they'd rather steal or fence.
Some won't have anything less than a safe full of diamonds, a sack of cash or a cocaine stash they can turn around. Some are happy with a laptop they can sell to a buddy in the school cafeteria during lunch period or swap for dirt bike parts. Nobody knows SP's preference. Still, SP stole nothing.

SP is an unsophisticated, uninspiring, gimpy burglar who chose being a pseudo cop for an occasion when a ski mask would do. He could have chosen a business suit or a bunny costume with fashionable balaklava. His preferred role of the evening was cop. Cop doing a B&E. Really over the top. Maybe he thinks cops are above the law and can get away with anything. Maybe SP's father is a maladjusted, bully cop who disdains having a gimpy teenage boy for a son and has made his life a living hell over it. Maybe, SP has assumed the role of his entitled, bully cop father for the occasion. All of that irresistible authority. Maybe not. Ask SP. He's the guy with the answer.

It is, nonetheless, a charade. SP the unknown boogeyman, pulling one over on everyone else. Powerful stuff that might easily become an addiction. All of that adrenaline pumping through your brain. Its been five years. Was SP scared straight, or emboldened and thrilled by his apparent success at evading capture? Has SP escalated their exploits, adjusted their technique? Has SP developed a nagging paranoia, waiting for that knock on the door? Does SP stalk these very message boards, fearful someone just might figure him out, get it right and add another thread to the fabric of their capture? Or emboldened, because everyone here is all over the map and nowhere near figuring them out? Again, ask SP.

SP maneuvered themself into the death penalty zone. No matter what SP thinks of themself, that's the end of SP's line, his punched ticket to total oblivion. That fact is laying on his brain as the coldest, most final reality a human being can look forward to. Despite whatever SP thinks of cops, they're now able to find and arrest criminals whose crimes happened 10, 20, 30, 40, even 50 years ago. Pretty daunting stuff when you have bloody murder in your pocket. If there's any way for SP to disburden themself of this stark reality, this mountainous faceless entity coming for him, this frightening end to their life - it is confession.

Confession turns your hapless state into a whole new ballgame. Its a powerful negotiating tool within the criminal justice system. It can magically transform a death sentence into a life sentence! Just think of the power to flip the switch from your assured death to assured life! You get to live, because you confessed. I've seen cops shake the hands of confessed killers and thank them for having the courage to admit their crime and restore order where chaos once was. SP should do that. The truth can set SP free.

I don't see this as a burglary, but OTH I don't believe the possibility of an inexperienced burglar can't be ignored. I know of one burglary in a nearby neighborhood caught because one of the items stolen was a set of golf clubs. Witness thought it was odd seeing a 14 yo or 15 yo walking down the road with a set of golf clubs. My point is not all burglaries are carried out by sophisticated persons. As you point out this person could have carried this out with a simple ski mask and gloves. Just because they had a sophisticated disguise is no guarantee that this person was experienced in what they were doing.

As I said, I don't rule out a burglary gone bad, I just don't believe it is likely. I believe a targeted killing is a possibility is likely. Personally, I believe this person was there either for vandalism or they knew about the inside cameras and it was some sort of prank. I wouldn't be surprised that when this person is caught they turn out to be someone 16-21 yo at the time of the murder.

One of my issues with a targeted killing is why the elaborate disguise and break-in? If killing Missy is the goal, just park out back and wait. When she pulls up simply put on the ski mask and walk to the area under the awning and shoot her with a small caliber gun such as a .22. Between the distance from residences, the rain and early time one could fire 4-5 shots and it likely wouldn't be noticed. No unique disguise that might be recognized, no break in and nothing on video. Why break in and then walk through the church with an opportunity to leave more evidence. And even if it is a targeted killing with a break in, go straight to a room where one can watch for a car pulling into the parking lot rather than walk through the church. (Of course, the counter argument is just like not all burglaries are well thought out, not all murders are either.)

The use of the disguise, to me, just seems to have some other specific purpose that had nothing to do with a planned murder.

 

[TheGardener]

I wouldn't be surprised that when this person is caught they turn out to be someone 16-21 yo at the time of the murder.

My thoughts exactly.

The use of the disguise, to me, just seems to have some other specific purpose that had nothing to do with a planned murder.

My thoughts exactly. Its the outward form of something nagging at his psyche.
Maybe, he wants to be a cop, you know, the authority thing - but...those damned legs. Voila! Self-anointed cop!

 

[TheGardener]

"Maybe, SP wants to be a cop, you know, the authority thing - but...those damned legs. Voila! Self-anointed cop!"

Let's expound on that possible aspect. Let's go beyond the "uniform" and assign "cop behavior" to SP, rather than "burglar" behavior.

Maybe, SP's NOT burgling, because he's practicing "clearing the scene" (if only at times in slow motion). Bashing windows, jimmying doors. Looking for what? Burglars! Burglars hiding in store rooms. Burglars hiding in offices.

Maybe, the fantasy is more valuable to him than whatever could be stolen. Maybe the church is his stage and he's John Wintergreen - Electraglide In Blue. The tough little motorcycle cop with the bandy legs who yearned to be a Texas Ranger - but was too short for consideration. If you can't go to training school (there's those crazy legs again), train at the church after hours. Go for a practice run. Bust those windows. Make those entries. Do what cops do. They crowbar (prybar) doors. They use battering rams (hammers) to bash doors in....but they do not rob. They are, after all...elite.

Could SP be so delusional that his immediate thought was that in the midst of his fantasy "clearing of the scene" and feigned cop behavior, he had found a perp and eliminated her as a knee jerk reaction? Is SP possibly that delusional?
JMHO.

 

[JnRyan]

"Maybe, SP wants to be a cop, you know, the authority thing - but...those damned legs. Voila! Self-anointed cop!"

Let's expound on that possible aspect. Let's go beyond the "uniform" and assign "cop behavior" to SP, rather than "burglar" behavior.

Maybe, SP's NOT burgling, because he's practicing "clearing the scene" (if only at times in slow motion). Bashing windows, jimmying doors. Looking for what? Burglars! Burglars hiding in store rooms. Burglars hiding in offices.

Maybe, the fantasy is more valuable to him than whatever could be stolen. Maybe the church is his stage and he's John Wintergreen - Electraglide In Blue. The tough little motorcycle cop with the bandy legs who yearned to be a Texas Ranger - but was too short for consideration. If you can't go to training school (there's those crazy legs again), train at the church after hours. Go for a practice run. Bust those windows. Make those entries. Do what cops do. They crowbar (prybar) doors. They use battering rams (hammers) to bash doors in....but they do not rob. They are, after all...elite.

Could SP be so delusional that his immediate thought was that in the midst of his fantasy "clearing of the scene" and feigned cop behavior, he had found a perp and eliminated her as a knee jerk reaction? Is SP possibly that delusional?
JMHO.

There is a scenario that didn't occur to me.

 

[TheGardener]

There is a scenario that didn't occur to me.

Right. It didn't occur to me either until recently. Why didn't the burglar rob? Why the seemingly gratuitous window bashing? Why a senseless murder?

Let's go even a bit further. Let's add some psychopathy, or a dash of scizoaffective disorder and lubricate the whole mess with some cocaine. Whoa!
You've got Crazy Cop to the 10th power and someone fully capable of physically destroying someone they considered an enemy...even an extremely fit person. Sometimes, you just can't win against crazy on cocaine

Let's see what psychosis offers as an answer to SP's seemingly indecipherable motives and/or behaviors.

Psychosis:

People may experience:

Behavioral: disorganized behavior, aggression, agitation, hostility, hyperactivity, hypervigilance, nonsense word repetition, repetitive movements, restlessness, self-harm, social isolation, lack of restraint, or persistent repetition of words or actions

Cognitive: thought disorder, confusion, belief that an ordinary event has special and personal meaning, belief that thoughts aren't one's own, disorientation, racing thoughts, slowness in activity, thoughts of suicide, unwanted thoughts, difficulty thinking and understanding, or false belief of superiority. <---- (or authority)?

Mood: anger, anxiety, apathy, excitement, feeling detached from self, general discontent, limited range of emotions, loneliness, or nervousness

Psychological: fear, hearing voices, depression, manic episode, paranoia, persecutory delusion, religious delusion, or visual hallucinations.

Speech: deficiency of speech, excessive wordiness, incoherent speech, or rapid and frenzied speaking
Also common: memory loss, nightmares, or tactile hallucination.

Perhaps, we've been too distracted by the helmet and not more properly focuses on what's living inside SP's skull.

 

[johnnyringo]

"Maybe, SP wants to be a cop, you know, the authority thing - but...those damned legs. Voila! Self-anointed cop!"

Let's expound on that possible aspect. Let's go beyond the "uniform" and assign "cop behavior" to SP, rather than "burglar" behavior.

Maybe, SP's NOT burgling, because he's practicing "clearing the scene" (if only at times in slow motion). Bashing windows, jimmying doors. Looking for what? Burglars! Burglars hiding in store rooms. Burglars hiding in offices.

Maybe, the fantasy is more valuable to him than whatever could be stolen. Maybe the church is his stage and he's John Wintergreen - Electraglide In Blue. The tough little motorcycle cop with the bandy legs who yearned to be a Texas Ranger - but was too short for consideration. If you can't go to training school (there's those crazy legs again), train at the church after hours. Go for a practice run. Bust those windows. Make those entries. Do what cops do. They crowbar (prybar) doors. They use battering rams (hammers) to bash doors in....but they do not rob. They are, after all...elite.

Could SP be so delusional that his immediate thought was that in the midst of his fantasy "clearing of the scene" and feigned cop behavior, he had found a perp and eliminated her as a knee jerk reaction? Is SP possibly that delusional?
JMHO.

Interesting theory. However, when cops are clearing a building they typically have their guns drawn. I would think if he was playing cop we would see his gun.

 

[Gumshoe Stories]

Interesting theory. However, when cops are clearing a building they typically have their guns drawn. I would think if he was playing cop we would see his gun.

That is my thought as well. And from what I have been told, cosplay is typically not a solo activity at all. Not a lot of point to cosplaying if no one is there to see you do it.

 

[TheGardener]

That is my thought as well. And from what I have been told, cosplay is typically not a solo activity at all. Not a lot of point to cosplaying if no one is there to see you do it.

I don't think psychotics yearn for an audience. They tend to be loners.
Gumshoe..didn't you tell me a few posts back that the victim was shot?

 

[Itsapuzzle]

Right. It didn't occur to me either until recently. Why didn't the burglar rob? Why the seemingly gratuitous window bashing? Why a senseless murder?

Let's go even a bit further. Let's add some psychopathy, or a dash of scizoaffective disorder and lubricate the whole mess with some cocaine. Whoa!
You've got Crazy Cop to the 10th power and someone fully capable of physically destroying someone they considered an enemy...even an extremely fit person. Sometimes, you just can't win against crazy on cocaine

Let's see what psychosis offers as an answer to SP's seemingly indecipherable motives and/or behaviors.

Psychosis:

People may experience:

Behavioral: disorganized behavior, aggression, agitation, hostility, hyperactivity, hypervigilance, nonsense word repetition, repetitive movements, restlessness, self-harm, social isolation, lack of restraint, or persistent repetition of words or actions

Cognitive: thought disorder, confusion, belief that an ordinary event has special and personal meaning, belief that thoughts aren't one's own, disorientation, racing thoughts, slowness in activity, thoughts of suicide, unwanted thoughts, difficulty thinking and understanding, or false belief of superiority. <---- (or authority)?

Mood: anger, anxiety, apathy, excitement, feeling detached from self, general discontent, limited range of emotions, loneliness, or nervousness

Psychological: fear, hearing voices, depression, manic episode, paranoia, persecutory delusion, religious delusion, or visual hallucinations.

Speech: deficiency of speech, excessive wordiness, incoherent speech, or rapid and frenzied speaking
Also common: memory loss, nightmares, or tactile hallucination.

Perhaps, we've been too distracted by the helmet and not more properly focuses on what's living inside SP's skull.

I don’t know if this matches up with the driver of the Nissan Altima though. His driving is superb and controlled to the point of perfection ... well, to me anyway .... is that how someone off their rocker on mind altering substances drives? Is this how an addled lunatic gets around in their car? I don’t think so. I’d really like to hear from a criminal behavioural analyst/profiler as to what they make of that driving and parking, that’d be interesting hey. I have a feeling he did the same driving full circle a couple of times around the church and the camera at SWFA picked it up on the cctv. MOO of course.