New Clues Emerge in Case of Mother Found Murdered in Texas Church
The victim received a "creepy and strange" message just days before her death.
— -- New clues are emerging in the case of a mother found murdered in a church in Texas last month, according to search warrants released by the Midlothian Police Department today citing "persons of interest" in the case.
Terri "Missy" Bevers, a fitness instructor and mother of three, was found murdered at Creekside Church of Christ in Midlothian, Texas, on April 18. She had been scheduled to teach a fitness boot camp class at the church, according to police.
Surveillance video from the church showed an unidentified suspect wearing full tactical gear -- including a heavy helmet, gloves and jacket with the word "POLICE" on the front and back -- disguising the person's gender and identity. The suspect had a distinctive walk, which police were hoping someone might be able to identify.
Though police have not yet identified the person on the video or any other suspects in the case, several persons of interest and other details have been described in search warrants issued for AT&T cellphone records and LinkedIn messaging records.
Here's what the warrants reveal:
Bevers Received a 'Strange and Creepy' Message Days Before Her Death
A friend of Bevers told investigators that "less than three days before the murder," Bevers received a "creepy and strange" message on LinkedIn from a male unknown to them both, according to the search warrant for Bevers' LinkedIn records.
The friend could not recall the name of the person on the account that sent the message, police said.
Bevers Had an 'Ongoing Financial and Marital Struggle' And Extramarital Affairs
Evidence police extracted from Bevers' and her husband's iPhones and an iPad, along with several tips provided to officers, revealed that Bevers had "an ongoing financial and marital struggle as well as intimate/personal relationship(s) external to the marriage" with persons of interest, according to the search warrant for AT&T cellphone records.
A 'Person of Interest' Had 'Fliratious' Communications With Bevers on LinkedIn
Police said that a "person of interest confirmed that they had engaged in a series of communications" with Bevers while on LinkedIn some time around January this year, until her death. The "person of interest" added that their communications ultimately turned "flirtatious and familiar," police added in the search warrant for LinkedIn records.
How the Unknown Murder Suspect May Have Used a Cell Phone
According to the search warrant for AT&T records, police said they believe the unknown suspect could have used the cell phone to:
- confirm the Bevers' workout times and locations, which she had publicly posted to social media
- communicate with Bevers through calls, messages, texts, emails, data, push-to-talk and/or walky-talky
- photograph, record and/or video the victim and the murderous act
- access applications and tools such as map locator applications, clock or timing capabilities, GPS locating applications and flashlight
No official suspects have yet been named.