INQUISITR.COM / News & Politics

Missy Bevers Update: New Clues Released In Texas Mom’s Murder

By Leigh Egan
Published on: 21:20 PST, May 20, 2016

While all family members are now cleared in the murder of 45-year-old Texas fitness instructor Missy Bevers, authorities are pinpointing a vehicle spotted on surveillance camera the morning she was killed. They also provided additional clues about the suspect during a Friday morning press conference.

CBS Crimesider reports that police are searching for a light-colored Nissan Altima that was seen on video footage at a nearby sporting goods store. The car appeared to have an oval sticker on its bumper, and the lights were turned on during the early morning hours of April 18, just a few hours before Missy Bevers was found murdered inside the Creekside Church of Christ in Midlothian, Texas.

Authorities are looking for a Nissan Altima that was spotted near the church Missy Bevers was killed in. (Photo by Midlothian Police Department)
Authorities are looking for a Nissan Altima that was spotted near the church Missy Bevers was killed in. (Photo by Midlothian Police Department)

According to Assistant Chief Kevin Johnson of the Midlothian Police Department, the owner of the Nissan, or whoever was driving the Nissan that morning, is not currently considered a suspect, but authorities need to see if anyone saw anything that all that could help provide clues. He stated during the press conference on Friday that the killer arrived at the church over an hour after the vehicle drove away.

“The last remaining lead involves a car that pulls into the SWFA Sporting Goods parking lot at approximately 2 a.m. They’re seen pulling into the parking lot and leaving just a few minutes later….It is well over an hour before the killer is believed to come onto the scene at the church. It’s simply just an unfinished lead that we’d like to talk to that person and ask if they have anything to add to the investigation.”

The owner of the sporting goods store felt that the driver of the Nissan Altima was casing the store to rob it, given the late hour the car was parked outside. After the owner heard about the killing, he informed the police. Regardless, Dillon Hazelwood, sales manager of SWFA Outdoors, feels that it could simply be a coincidence, but authorities aren’t leaving any stones unturned.

“It could just be a coincidence, if they pulled in or if they did have something to do with it. We’re just excited that there’s new information out now.”

Investigators also uncovered that the suspect stands between 5’2″ and 5’7″. They narrowed down the killer’s height with the assistance of Tarrant County digital investigators, who used state-of-the art forensics video equipment to hone in on the suspect’s details. Investigators also discovered that the tool seen in the suspect’s hand via the surveillance video was indeed a hammer.

Authorities are still unsure if the suspect is a man or a woman. They’ve said in the past that the killer walked with a feminine style, but it doesn’t necessarily indicate that the suspect is truly a female. The suspect also walks with a distinct gait, with his or her feet pointing outwards. Numerous people on social media immediately thought that Bevers’ father-in-law, Randy Bevers, was the suspect, because he has a similarly distinctive walk. Yet authorities clearly indicated this week that none of Missy Bevers’ family members is a suspect or even a person of interest at this point.

Bevers was scheduled to lead a Camp Gladiator fitness class inside the church at 5:00 a.m., on April 18. Someone snuck into the church a little before 4:00 a.m. the same morning, wearing SWAT tactical gear. The suspect was caught on the church’s surveillance camera trying to break into doors and smashing glass. According to police, Bevers was seen walking into the church at around 4:18 a.m. Shortly before 5:00 a.m., one of her Camp Gladiator students found her dead inside the church. The suspect was already gone.

SWFA Outdoors is currently offering a $10,000 reward for information that leads to the arrest and indictment of the person or people responsible for Missy Bevers’ murder.

[Image via Bevers Family/Facebook]

Share this article: Missy Bevers Update: New Clues Released In Texas Mom’s Murder
More from Inquisitr