Murder By Disguise — The Death of Missy Bevers

In the early morning hours of April 18, 2016, as an intruder broke into Creekside Church of Christ dressed in a police costume resembling SWAT gear, the rain poured down — tears from the sky over Midlothian, Texas.

The costumed criminal walked awkwardly through the church, trailing their hand casually down the walls in a proprietary way. They were alone, for now, and the building and its contents were there for the perpetrator to do with as they pleased. There were no witnesses, only the silent eye of the cameras recording the oddly duck-like walk of a monster in the house of God.

It was 3:50 am when the intruder made their first appearance on the church’s security camera.

Terri “Missy” Bevers, a fitness instructor for Camp Gladiator, had just left her home in Red Oak, Texas to make the half-hour drive to the Creekside Church of Christ.

Missy led a fitness class every Monday morning on the grounds of the church, usually outside, but the night before she had posted on Facebook that her class was going to meet at its usual time the next morning, despite the rain. They would hold their class inside — where the costumed intruder would be waiting.

The Victim

Missy Bevers was born Terri Leeann Strickland on August 9, 1970, in Grand, Texas but was known as Missy from a young age. In 1997, she was working at a department store when she became friends with a co-worker who introduced Missy to her son, Brandon Bevers. On their first date, Brandon had arrived wearing a tuxedo, since he was on his way to a wedding, and only nine months later, Missy and Brandon were married on June 20, 1998.

Missy was a special education teacher for two years until the birth of her first child, Hannah, at which time she left the paid workforce to become a full-time mother. She was devoted to her three daughters — Hannah, Allie, and Sarah — and had a seemingly-happy marriage with their father, Brandon Bevers.

But Missy never thought it was enough for just her and her family to have a happy life. If Missy wasn’t helping others…