TX TX - Terri 'Missy' Bevers, 45, killed in church/suspect in SWAT gear, Midlothian, 18 Apr 2016 #49

Staged break in, to exploit limits of security.

Intruder, familiar with the lay of the land. Fully expecting to run into no one. Murder, utterly unplanned. Self- preservation in the moment.

JMO
 
Pat Brown has loads more experience and may know a lot more about this case than I do, but I don't see this as a random stranger crime.

Rather, I think MB was targeted by someone that she would have recognized had she seen this person's face. It's also possible that the perp wanted cover not just so MB wouldn't recognize his/her face, but also so that anyone attending the class who arrived early wouldn't recognize his/her face. And also, so that anyone viewing the church's surveillance video wouldn't recognize his/her face. It makes me wonder if the perp is somehow familiar with and associated with the church.

Thus the reason for the oversized and uncomfortable looking getup that provided nearly complete cover, but that somewhat impeded the wearer's ability to see or move. For example, when opening the dutch door, the perp opened the bottom only and seemed not to immediately recognize that the top had not opened as he/she almost moved forward into it before tipping his/her head to see better and realized he/she had to open the top too. The perp seemed to move through the place as though he/she had been there before, even as it looked like he/she was trying to look like a burglar.

Might there have been someone who thought it irreverent to have an exercise class in a church facility? Too loud, and too much exposed skin and immodest movements?

ETA: After posting, I checked the calendar and noted that the day this occurred (Apr 18, 2016) was a Monday. I wonder whether the perp either knew or expected that Sunday's collections would be in a safe on premises that early on Monday morning (i.e., before the counting of the collection for deposit to a bank)?

You might be right someone might NOT thought it was appropriate to hold an exercise class at church, but murder is so extreme.
I hope this case will have a huge break soon.
 
You might be right someone might NOT thought it was appropriate to hold an exercise class at church, but murder is so extreme.
I hope this case will have a huge break soon.
Me too. It has remained unsolved for far too long. I cannot imagine how painful that must be for MB's loved ones.

Also, after I originally posted, I checked the calendar and realized that this occurred early on a Monday morning. Given that timing, I might tend to lean less toward targeting and more toward someone there to steal the Sunday collections before the counters arrive when the church office opens to count the collections and prepare the deposit for the bank. Arriving early, Missy might have caught the thief in the act (and with the perp's face exposed) and that might be why a burglar resorted to murder.
 
Me too. It has remained unsolved for far too long. I cannot imagine how painful that must be for MB's loved ones.

Also, after I originally posted, I checked the calendar and realized that this occurred early on a Monday morning. Given that timing, I might tend to lean less toward targeting and more toward someone there to steal the Sunday collections before the counters arrive when the church office opens to count the collections and prepare the deposit for the bank. Arriving early, Missy might have caught the thief in the act (and with the perp's face exposed) and that might be why a burglar resorted to murder.

And this required and entire SWAT outfit with helmet?

I am going to need A LOT more convincing to buy the random attacker and/or LARP theory.
 
And this required and entire SWAT outfit with helmet?

I am going to need A LOT more convincing to buy the random attacker and/or LARP theory.
I can’t imagine anything that really REQUIRED an entire SWAT outfit with helmet, but it does do a fairly decent job of concealing who is inside it, which leads me to believe that was the intended purpose for putting it on. The ”dramatic over-concealing” seems to me like it indicates an amateur criminal trying to imagine how an experienced thief might prepare to get away with a big heist in the known presence of surveillance.

Also weird, the vehicle driving around the gun store parking lot beforehand. The driver turned the vehicle’s lights off just before turning off the highway into that lot and then turned them back on after circling around back. This despite a parking lot that actually appeared fairly well-lit.

That makes me think the “turning the lights off” was done because it was scripted in advance, and by a criminal who wasn’t that bright or agile in response to encountered conditions, but was working from a script (since he/she turned them off even though there really wasn’t much point).
 
I can’t imagine anything that really REQUIRED an entire SWAT outfit with helmet, but it does do a fairly decent job of concealing who is inside it, which leads me to believe that was the intended purpose for putting it on. The ”dramatic over-concealing” seems to me like it indicates an amateur criminal trying to imagine how an experienced thief might prepare to get away with a big heist in the known presence of surveillance.

Also weird, the vehicle driving around the gun store parking lot beforehand. The driver turned the vehicle’s lights off just before turning off the highway into that lot and then turned them back on after circling around back. This despite a parking lot that actually appeared fairly well-lit.

That makes me think the “turning the lights off” was done because it was scripted in advance, and by a criminal who wasn’t that bright or agile in response to encountered conditions, but was working from a script (since he/she turned them off even though there really wasn’t much point).

The SWAT outfit concealed identify, kept forensics off, and provided protection against a physical fit person who may have had a small chance of having a gun on them at the time.

I believe the outfit was for all of that, the killer entered the kitchen logically knowing it was the last place Missy would enter and/or notice damage, and part of the reason Missy was attacked at that time was because it was extremely unlikely she would have her firearm at 4am when setting up for a fitness class at a church.
 
I can’t imagine anything that really REQUIRED an entire SWAT outfit with helmet, but it does do a fairly decent job of concealing who is inside it, which leads me to believe that was the intended purpose for putting it on. The ”dramatic over-concealing” seems to me like it indicates an amateur criminal trying to imagine how an experienced thief might prepare to get away with a big heist in the known presence of surveillance.

Also weird, the vehicle driving around the gun store parking lot beforehand. The driver turned the vehicle’s lights off just before turning off the highway into that lot and then turned them back on after circling around back. This despite a parking lot that actually appeared fairly well-lit.

That makes me think the “turning the lights off” was done because it was scripted in advance, and by a criminal who wasn’t that bright or agile in response to encountered conditions, but was working from a script (since he/she turned them off even though there really wasn’t much point).
If the Nissan Altima driver tried to make his behavior look suspicious, he succeeded well. I think, all together it was a well constructed choreography (inclusive communication), during a stormy night happening at the SWF parking lot and at the church (outside/inside). 7 years later we are none the wiser, what a pity. The SP couldn't have been that stupid. :(
 
If the family put pressure on the local LE, or took the cold case to the media do you think would be solved?

I think the husband needs to go to the media and hound everyone until her murderer is caught.
I hear about Cold Cases being solved when ONE family member or ONE friend would NOT give up and would go to the press to keep the name in the spotlight.
The husband is done. He was done in JAN 2018. I think it's because he figured out or knows who killed Missy; hence, he's no longer interested in justice.

One of her precious daughters might do it one day though.
 
The husband is done. He was done in JAN 2018. I think it's because he figured out or knows who killed Missy; hence, he's no longer interested in justice.

One of her precious daughters might do it one day though.

IIRC one of the daughters did a fundraising thing to help get justice for Missy and Brandon acted SUPER weird about it
 
IIRC one of the daughters did a fundraising thing to help get justice for Missy and Brandon acted SUPER weird about it

and the plot thickens. Super weird as in? Behaved strangely at the event? Grief-stricken? Angry?
Was this in the news?

I feel so bad for her daughters.

You'd think more people from her hometown would want this mystery solved. Because, the killer could strike again at any time, if it was targeted.

 
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and the plot thickens. Super weird as in? Behaved strangely at the event? Grief-stricken? Angry?
Was this in the news?

I feel so bad for her daughters.


Wow, by the time I finished that article I think someone nearby must've started cutting onions.

It's very touching that the women decided to so publicly support Allison, and be determined to keep supporting her going forward. It's also lovely that the police issued a statement saying how proud of her they were.

It's really interesting to me that a couple of months after Brandon stated he was done searching for Missy's murderer, one of his girls very publicly started fundraising to help generate awareness of the case and to raise money towards the cause. The auction itself was only three months after that statement, so how long before the event was she planning it?

In his statement, Brandon says:
'The children are not terribly fond of apprehending this person. They don't want to revisit those emotions-they have told me this... They see/hear the daily anxiety I have in finding this person, and I think they are tired of the mentality this puts our day to day life in.

I'd argue that Allison's actions seem to suggest otherwise. I wonder if their dad was projecting/pushing beliefs onto them? Or he unilaterally decided that this was "for their own benefit"?
 
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Wow, by the time I finished that article I think someone nearby must've started cutting onions.

It's very touching that the women decided to so publicly support Allison, and be determined to keep supporting her going forward. It's also lovely that the police issued a statement saying how proud of her they were.

It's really interesting to me that a couple of months after Brandon stated he was done searching for Missy's murderer, one of his girls very publicly started fundraising to help generate awareness of the case and to raise money towards the cause. The auction itself was only three months after that statement, so how long before the event was she planning it?

In his statement, Brandon says:


I'd argue that Allison's actions seem to suggest otherwise. I wonder if their dad was projecting/pushing beliefs onto them? Or he unilaterally decided that this was "for their own benefit"?

It was hard on me too. and she got to keep her piggy!
Good for Allison. It's their mom, they will always want to know what happened to her.
They deserve closure for their mamma.
Brandon can say what he wants but it's their mother.
Maybe it's too hard on him so he is shutting down but his daughters deserve closure.
 
and the plot thickens. Super weird as in? Behaved strangely at the event? Grief-stricken? Angry?
Was this in the news?

I feel so bad for her daughters.

You'd think more people from her hometown would want this mystery solved. Because, the killer could strike again at any time, if it was targeted.

The daughters are beautiful; you can see their mother's face in theirs.

Good for them for raising funds to further the investigation despite their father putting his wife's murder - the worst violation of one person against another and all who love that person - behind him.
 
The daughters are beautiful; you can see their mother's face in theirs.

Good for them for raising funds to further the investigation despite their father putting his wife's murder - the worst violation of one person against another and all who love that person - behind him.

All three do look just like Missy. I am rooting for them.
 
I feel horrible for Brandon. <modsnip>
 
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DEC 23, 2017 - - Missy was murdered on APR 18, 2016

  • Brandon Bevers, 43, has said he is ending the search for his wife's killer
  • He said for the sake of his children he needed to focus on his wife's legacy
  • Terri 'Missy' Bevers, 45, was found dead inside a Texas church in April 2016
  • CCTV showed a suspect walking through the building wielding a hammer
  • Police have made no arrests and have very few details about the individual
  • Brandon has previously said he believes the person who killed his wife knew her
  • He also added that he believes it was a woman who had a motive to kill her

Husband says he is done searching for wife's killer for his kids' sake
 
I think one of the main questions in this case is probably: Did the burglar murderer know about the surveillance cameras at Creekside Church before they went to the chuch? If they had picked a different target, would they have worn the same outfit?

The strangest part to me is that according to what I have read, Missy Bevers did not enter the church right away once she parked in front of the southwest awning. She had to get various items out of her truck while opening and closing the doors on the truck. Even if the burglar could not hear that, it is sort of strange they did not see either her truck headlights entering the church driveway or the truck sitting there in front of the southwest awning.

I wonder about the outfit too because the helmet on the surveillance video does not seem to have any water spots on it. I also think about the amount of time the burglar spent inside each room in the church. I would have expected the time spent in the church offices(where the money probably was) would be a longer duration than the other rooms. If the burglar washed off the rain drops on the helmet before exiting into the hallway, was that kitchen room found with the light on?
 
I think one of the main questions in this case is probably: Did the burglar murderer know about the surveillance cameras at Creekside Church before they went to the chuch? If they had picked a different target, would they have worn the same outfit?

The strangest part to me is that according to what I have read, Missy Bevers did not enter the church right away once she parked in front of the southwest awning. She had to get various items out of her truck while opening and closing the doors on the truck. Even if the burglar could not hear that, it is sort of strange they did not see either her truck headlights entering the church driveway or the truck sitting there in front of the southwest awning.

I wonder about the outfit too because the helmet on the surveillance video does not seem to have any water spots on it. I also think about the amount of time the burglar spent inside each room in the church. I would have expected the time spent in the church offices(where the money probably was) would be a longer duration than the other rooms. If the burglar washed off the rain drops on the helmet before exiting into the hallway, was that kitchen room found with the light on?

I am sold on the fact that Missy was targeted, and the person lying in wait for her was expecting her to have her hands full.

I believe they were looking for her headlights and expecting her around that time, hoping she would have her hands full. Her hands being full is a strong possibility, seeing as though she more that likely would be bringing equipment in with her. This would cause her to be much more defenseless, and it raises the likelihood that she would not bring her gun in the building with her, having her hands full and wearing workout attire.

Its blatantly obvious to me that she was targeted, and it really confuses me as to why its a discussion at all.
 
I am sold on the fact that Missy was targeted, and the person lying in wait for her was expecting her to have her hands full.

I believe they were looking for her headlights and expecting her around that time, hoping she would have her hands full. Her hands being full is a strong possibility, seeing as though she more that likely would be bringing equipment in with her. This would cause her to be much more defenseless, and it raises the likelihood that she would not bring her gun in the building with her, having her hands full and wearing workout attire.

Its blatantly obvious to me that she was targeted, and it really confuses me as to why its a discussion at all.
I think the question is, if she was an intended target, how could the perp trust she'd come in, move toward a sound and not herself be armed? Seems like a lot left to chance, including her ever coming in range. That's why, for me, I think there might be a motive that's just not readily evident. I still think it's possible she was killed because she was witness -- would've been able to identify the suspect, a suspect who didn't expect to be interrupted at all.

Jmo
 

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