7 years later, still no arrests in Missy Bevers murder investigation
MIDLOTHIAN (CBSNewsTexas) - Seven years ago today, mother of three, Terri "Missy" Bevers was murdered inside Creekside Church of Christ in Midlothian.
The country took notice of the case given eerie surveillance footage showing a suspect clothed in black, body armour and other strange circumstances surrounding the brutal killing.
Years later, police haven't made any arrests. Yet, Assistant Police Chief Scott Brown wants the community to understand the department doesn't consider the case "cold."
"We remain dedicated to solving the crime and prosecuting the offender(s). While the lead investigator works as much as possible on the case, our whole investigative team, led by Commander Byron Stewart, spends at least one to two days a month sequestered in a conference room where they can work without interruption on this case," Brown told CBSNewsTexas. "On other occasions, the team meets at the scene of the crime and re-assesses the incident."
Bevers, who was 45 the night she was killed, arrived at the church to set up for a fitness class she taught.
Shortly after her murder, investigators released the surveillance video showing the suspect wearing possible police tactical gear, including a helmet, vest and gloves. The video only showed the killer walking through the hallways, breaking glass on doors. Police said the suspect didn't steal anything, even Bevers' wedding ring.
The killer has an unusual gait, and detectives said they couldn't determine whether the suspect was a man or woman. Later, the FBI called in forensic podiatrist Dr. Michael Nirenberg to study surveillance video of the suspect.
Nirenberg said wearing the type of gear the killer was wearing and carrying a weapon would affect gait, so it's difficult to know if that's how the suspect moves in regular clothing.
And while much was made of the way the killer walked, Nirenberg said, it's not uncommon.
"You can see how the left toe is slightly out-toed and the right toe is significantly out-toed in this person," Nirenberg previously told CBSNewsTexas. "A large number of people in the population are going to have that."
Nirenberg said gait couldn't answer whether the killer was male or female either.
"You can't make a determination if it's a male or female because of variation in gait," he told CBSNewsTexas' Ginger Allen. "That is a dangerous thing to do."
The church surveillance video is not the only video Nirenberg studied either.
He said investigators on the case sent him recordings of people walking, to see if he thought they moved like the suspect.
"The FBI sent me persons who were of both genders," Nirenberg said. "I don't know the people they sent me; who they were. I don't believe they knew they were being recorded."
Nirenberg said just one of them had a gait similar to that of the suspect.
Aside from the way the suspect walked, and how he or she was dressed, what stood out to Nirenberg -- something he told CBSNewsTexas he will never forget -- is footage that was never made public.
He said he saw video of Bevers inside the church before her murder. Nirenberg said she turned her head, appearing to hear something off-camera. It was very likely the moment she realized she was not alone, Nirenberg said.
"It sticks with you because you know what's coming," he said. "We've all watched those horror movies where you say 'you gotta get out of the house' and this was the real thing."
Nirenberg wasn't the only expert called in to help the department on the case. Retired federal investigator Greg Weadon continues after years of working on it.
"We have and will continue to go wherever the case takes us," said Brown. "We still receive tips from across the globe and we follow up on all of them that have even the slightest legitimacy. Best guess is we received over 50 tips from various sources in 2022-23. Many of the subjects of these tips are local, but some are not. In the past 18 months we have visited several locations and interviewed several people outside of the State of Texas in connection with the case."
There are several ways people can share anonymous tips.
• By calling Crime Stoppers of Ellis County at 972-937-PAYS (7297)
• By calling the Midlothian Police Department Criminal Investigation Division at 972-775-7634
• By private message via our Facebook Page, Midlothian Police Department – Texas (@MidlothianTXPD)
