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

[Razz]

I agree that it was an unexpected meeting. The perp's helmet and the rain on the roof may have even prevented him from hearing Missy until she was practically on top of him.

There is no evidence that he knew Missy or knew anything about her. If he knew her, it was a coincidence, in my opinion. (It was a rural area, so if he was a local, there's a decent chance that he and Missy had crossed paths before.)

I said it was possible it was unexpected.

 

[Razz]

I said it was possible it was unexpected.

Guess there is no edit button. What I originally wrote was, It was possible SP didn't see MB arrive.

 

[abams]

<modsnip>

His behavior on the video makes it clear that he was not waiting for Missy or for anybody. He was committing a burglary. There is no evidence for anything else, and any other conclusion is unsupported by logic, in my opinion.

Agree to disagree then. I watch the video and definitely can't rule out (with the lallygagging around the church, etc.) that it was targeted. Imo the burglar being interrupted theory makes absolutely zero sense but because I realize I don't know, and can't possibly know, I'm not willing to say there's zero chance of it.

 

[JosieMae]

<modsnip>

A rainstorm would be the perfect time to commit a break in like this because it would mean that fewer people would be out and about and therefore it would be less likely for the perp to be seen or recognized.

If the goal was to steal the weekly donations from the Sunday services, the only good time to commit the burglary would be late Sunday night or early Monday morning, which is when this crime occurred. In my opinion, if nothing was taken, it means that the burglar didn't find the money, possibly because he was interrupted. It's also possible that the money had been taken off of the premises or stored in a safe that he was unable to locate.

If you try to think like a criminal, this crime makes perfect sense as an interrupted burglary, in my opinion. Missy would not be the first person killed because she interrupted a B&E or burglary in process.

There is no evidence that Missy wasn't targeted either.

We know very little. What we are doing here is speculating and offering opinions.

 

[FromGermany1]

<modsnip>

His behavior on the video makes it clear that he was not waiting for Missy or for anybody. He was committing a burglary. There is no evidence for anything else, and any other conclusion is unsupported by logic, in my opinion.

I don't like to battle for an opinion, not here on WS and not in real life. Sometimes I have an opinion because of some reasons, and sometimes I'm thinking, I am right and condemned to wait.
I'm not particularly gifted with logical thinking, so I have to ask: where is the logic behind the idea, that it MUST be definitely a single burglar, who suddenly kills a person, although masked beyond recognition? Why is he fleeing within seconds, although he acc. to your theory doesn't know, that a whole crew of Missy's clients will show up?

 

[Ozoner]

I don't like to battle for an opinion, not here on WS and not in real life. Sometimes I have an opinion because of some reasons, and sometimes I'm thinking, I am right and condemned to wait.
I'm not particularly gifted with logical thinking, so I have to ask: where is the logic behind the idea, that it MUST be definitely a single burglar, who suddenly kills a person, although masked beyond recognition? Why is he fleeing within seconds, although he acc. to your theory doesn't know, that a whole crew of Missy's clients will show up?

If he went there to commit an ordinary burglary, which appears to be the case from the video, then killing Missy would have been totally unexpected.
He was very lackadaisical about his activities before Missy showed up—which in itself indicates that he was not planning to commit a brutal homicide that would make national news—but after being surprised by Missy and killing her, his adrenaline would have been pumping full throttle. He would have wanted to get out of there as fast as possible and put as much distance between himself and the church as he could. He had no way of knowing who would or wouldn't be showing up, and it didn't matter. After his burglary turned into a murder, the only thing he would have been thinking about would have been getting the hell out of there. If he had located any valuables that he intended to take with him, he probably would have left the there. He would have wanted nothing to do with the location or any loot.
It sounds like you're assuming that his flleeing was related to the fact that the boot camp students were coming. That doesn't make any sense. He would have wanted to get out of there—and fast—no matter what. He was not going to stick around after committing a murder.

 

[trujac]

Hello, I am new here but have been interested in true crime for some time.

I walk very similarly to the guy in the video. I have since I was a child. I have something called Scheuermann's disease and it's basically 3 vertebrae misshapen in my spine all right in a row and my body compensates by growing curved. I had a curve of 81 degrees of my spine before getting surgery. People with Scheuermann's can have verying degrees of a curve and may not necessarily be obvious at first glance. This condition has caused me a lot of pain but some people can live normal lives with it. It causes me to have super tight hamstrings and I walk toes out diagonally just like the killer. I could stretch multiple times a day and still have tight hamstrings. Its annoying.

I think this may be wild speculation but considering it's still unsolved, is it possible they have a condition similar to mine? If so it is quite rare. I went to multiple doctors before I was able to be diagnosed. Watching the video it seems like they could have bad posture but that could be due to Scheuermann's or some similar condition.

Yes, I agree the waddling gait of the prep could also have something to do with inflammation and arthritis. I too have a waddling gait. Growing up people commented on it in a fun and teasing way. By Age 19 I was diagnosed as having Ankylosing Spondylitis. And like you--I was forced to have back surgery age 37. There very well might be a congenital defect and/or disease for their duck like walk.

 

[FromGermany1]

IMO + MOO + speculation

A fairy tale:
There is a small athletic lady in some sportswear, who comes into the church for the usual preparations for her camp training. Her gun for self defense she leaves in her car. She hears a noise and sees a person in the church and now unknowingly just has surprised a burglar. The burglar is in full swat gear like a police officer on a certain mission. She doesn't attack him, because it would be rather stupid. He attacks her instead immediately, shoots her in the head and as if not even enough, beats her with a tool to death. She suffers many puncture wounds to her chest area. When her clients find her, they only recognize something like a bundle of clothes between broken glass. The burglar is gone.

 

[Andreee]

I don't like to battle for an opinion, not here on WS and not in real life. Sometimes I have an opinion because of some reasons, and sometimes I'm thinking, I am right and condemned to wait.
I'm not particularly gifted with logical thinking, so I have to ask: where is the logic behind the idea, that it MUST be definitely a single burglar, who suddenly kills a person, although masked beyond recognition? Why is he fleeing within seconds, although he acc. to your theory doesn't know, that a whole crew of Missy's clients will show up?

I agree with you that this crime was directed at TB for the reasons that have been opined by many others on this thread. It is an opinion and I don't care to dispute other viewpoints that it was a burglar caught in the act. Could be either.

 

[chi123]

<modsnip>

His behavior on the video makes it clear that he was not waiting for Missy or for anybody. He was committing a burglary. There is no evidence for anything else, and any other conclusion is unsupported by logic, in my opinion.

IMO, His behavior on the video makes it clear that he was *not* committing a burglary, as does the fact that LE did not report any valuables stolen. He was just stalling and milling about in a haphazardly way to make it appear like he was burglarizing the church without going through any effort to actually take anything.

Of course, we’re going on 6 years unsolved and we have gotten hardly any new info, so I’d never say for certain one theory is definitely 100% correct and the other theory has no merit. At this point nothing would surprise me too much.

 

[JosieMae]

IMO, His behavior on the video makes it clear that he was *not* committing a burglary, as does the fact that LE did not report any valuables stolen. He was just stalling and milling about in a haphazardly way to make it appear like he was burglarizing the church without going through any effort to actually take anything.

Of course, we’re going on 6 years unsolved and we have gotten hardly any new info, so I’d never say for certain one theory is definitely 100% correct and the other theory has no merit. At this point nothing would surprise me too much.

Well-said!

 

[CoverMeCagney]

Was it ever confirmed how Missy died? I recall it was “puncture wounds to her head and chest” but I don’t think it was ever clarified that she was shot. It is normal for autopsy results to be withheld for so long?

Personally, I think Missy was targeted (because wouldn’t a burglar just put a balaclava rather than a complex outfit which would a)make it harder to run away, and b)be easily identifiable if caught) and my finger points to a couple or couples with police connections. My opinion only.

 

[Megnut]

Just some questions to ponder....

If she'd been executed with a single gunshot, wouldn't we all be singing "hit"?

What if the purchase agreement was death but make it look like something else?

What if there was no sign of her? Like she just vaporized but upon a review of CCTV, it appeared she'd left with someone dressed as LE/SWAT?

Wouldn't we be profiling an abductor? Wouldn't we be wondering why an abductor would choose a woman who doesn't fit the statistical kidnap victim/target mold?

What if it was an ordered abduction? iF she encountered LE, dressed in SWAT, might she not go willingly? Complying..

What if it was an ordered abduction, but she fought back? What if the order went sideways and didn't go down at all according to plan?

IMO a burglar who accidentally kills a woman, because she happened to interrupt a burglary, and takes nothing????? Why, just why? He's in costume, why not just bolt?

Who stood to gain? The buglar who stole nothing and would be charged only with, what, breaking and entering, attempted burglary?

Anyone else? Greed, love, lust....

I think it's reasonable to ask whether it was a burglary gone wrong or a staged burglary with a hidden, stark agenda?

JMO

 

[Razz]

Was it ever confirmed how Missy died? I recall it was “puncture wounds to her head and chest” but I don’t think it was ever clarified that she was shot. It is normal for autopsy results to be withheld for so long?

Personally, I think Missy was targeted (because wouldn’t a burglar just put a balaclava rather than a complex outfit which would a)make it harder to run away, and b)be easily identifiable if caught) and my finger points to a couple or couples with police connections. My opinion only.

Somewhere among all these threads (and I'm not going to paw all these threads) is a LE statement (not meant to be published) that says MB was shot. (Not with her own weapon which was left in her truck).

My thought was/ is, how did SP get the gun out so fast if he wasn't expecting "company"?
Seems SP was locked and loaded and ready for MB.

 

[Laughing]

Was it ever confirmed how Missy died? I recall it was “puncture wounds to her head and chest” but I don’t think it was ever clarified that she was shot. It is normal for autopsy results to be withheld for so long?

Personally, I think Missy was targeted (because wouldn’t a burglar just put a balaclava rather than a complex outfit which would a)make it harder to run away, and b)be easily identifiable if caught) and my finger points to a couple or couples with police connections. My opinion only.

Agree with @Razz , upthread a reliable poster provided a link to a national crime database that showed one death on the day that MB died, listed as a gunshot wound.

jmho ymmv lrr

 

[x_files]

...... Or the close friend is a former police officer/detective/FBI agent. This friend didn't know, all his infos on crime and forensic and tactics would be secretly used by his (killer)friend - until one day the former let-us-say: detective became very suspicious of his (killer)friend and withdrew from the friendship. The awakening could have been in 2018 perhaps. MOO

That works for me too. Someone knows who it is but NOT coming forward.

 

[x_files]

I'm convinced she was targeted. Why would some random vandal go to all that trouble (e.g. playing elaborate dress-up) in the wee hours of the morning during a very heavy rainstorm? I mean, it was raining buckets that night.

Why that church at that hour? Too much coincidence for me.

But the biggest consideration is that nothing was taken, but someone did die.

Agreed if a regular burglary why not just wear all black and a ski mask? Why a LE officer SWAT outfit?

 

[SteveS]

...how did SP get the gun out so fast if he wasn't expecting "company"?

Was it fast? We have no way of knowing how long it took -- whether very fast, very slow, or somewhere in between -- for perp to get out his gun, aim, and fire. Or when perp first drew his gun. Or why.

We don't even know where perp was when MB entered the building, and made enough noise to make him aware she was in the building. If we knew things like --- Was perp hiding, trying not to be discovered? Was perp in a defensive position with gun drawn "just in case"? Had perp already drawn his gun until the last second? Was perp being confrontational, aggressive, or coming at MB? We just don't know, and the evidence we have can fit just about any scenario we like.

 

[SteveS]

Agreed if a regular burglary why not just wear all black and a ski mask? Why a LE officer SWAT outfit?

Obviously the perp wanted to keep from being recognized, and to have a ready-made "excuse" for being there, to allow him to get away if someone entered the building. But those would be things he would want regardless of why he had broken into the building.

Unfortunately the evidence mostly leads where each of us decides we want it to lead. All of it can be made to fit with "he targeted MB," or with "he was targeting the church," or "he was just there to find things of value and steal them" -- but none of it objectively rules out the other possibilities.

 

[Razz]

Was it fast? We have no way of knowing how long it took -- whether very fast, very slow, or somewhere in between -- for perp to get out his gun, aim, and fire. Or when perp first drew his gun. Or why.

We don't even know where perp was when MB entered the building, and made enough noise to make him aware she was in the building. If we knew things like --- Was perp hiding, trying not to be discovered? Was perp in a defensive position with gun drawn "just in case"? Had perp already drawn his gun until the last second? Was perp being confrontational, aggressive, or coming at MB? We just don't know, and the evidence we have can fit just about any scenario we like.

You're right, we don't know. But this is all my speculation. However, in rethinking this, the last LE saw MB was when she was headed down the hallway in the vicinity where SP was last seen on the tape by LE. We know through our VI that she was murdered in the junction/corner of the north and west hallway where cameras were not operational. If that is true, imo it appears that SP was not in the auditorium at the time MB arrived in the building and was waiting for her somewhere near that corner. LE did not see MB or SP again after MB was viewed walking down the hallway. LE has said the murder and aftermath was not on tape. LE also said they thought SP escaped the way he came in...through the kitchen.....which was steps away from where MB was murdered. OK, I don't know about anyone else but I've just now convinced myself this was definately not an accident, this was not a burglar who happened to bump into MB unexpectly,, this was someone who knew she was coming down the hallway, and was ready to assassinate her. All just my opinion and speculation.