Overview of Missy Bevers
Terri Bevers, better known as Missy, was born on August 9, 1970 in Graham, Texas. Missy and her husband, Brandon Bevers had three children together. Missy decided shortly after their first daughter was born, that she would be a stay-at-home mom, and leave her job working in special education. As their children grew older, Missy decided to start a career in fitness, where she would eventually become a well-known fitness instructor in Midlothian, Texas. Missy was described by many as a small town girl who was a beacon of light to everyone she met, as well as being known to love helping others.
Not everyone can give up their jobs, devote themselves to their family and household for years, and then make a successful career pivot, but that is exactly what Missy Bevers did.
Born Terri Leann Strickland on August 9, 1970, but called Missy by all who knew her, she was a compassionate and hardworking woman. Missy married Brandon Bevers in 1998; she was working as a special education teacher, but once their first child was born, Missy chose to stay home and focus on parenting full time. Her life is a demonstrated record of caring for others whether it was in the classroom as a special needs teacher, as a devoted mother to Allison, Hannah and Sarah, or in her second career, as a fitness instructor in her Midlothian, TX. community.
To most of her fitness clients and students, she was more than an instructor. She was a leader, an encourager, and the person who helped them believe in their ability to change their life for the better. Missy discovered this love of fitness as her girls got older and she had more time for working out and her own interests. She trained and studied and was in excellent shape by any standards, but particularly for a mother of three in her mid forties. She was arguably in the best shape of her life.
But her outward appearance is not what her husband, friends and broader community remember or speak about when they remember Missy. No, they point to her heart, her compassion, her ability to inspire and see the best in others. It’s those traits that helped her during her years as teacher, then when she parented full time, and now in her new career as a fitness instructor for a program called Camp Gladiator.
Following her murder, husband, Brandon was in awe of the outpouring of support from the Gladiator community. Countless people communicated their admiration for Missy, and their shock and devastation over her death. Family, friends, and her church and fitness community struggle to comprehend how such a violent tragedy could befall one of the most loving souls they know.
In the early morning hours of April 18, 2016, Missy Bevers left her home and arrived at Midlothian's Creekside Church of Christ just after 4:00am to lead an early morning fitness class which was scheduled to begin at 5:00am. It was raining but she had updated Facebook with a post stating: “If it’s raining, we’re still training,” so class was on. Unbeknownst to Missy, an unknown person, wearing unofficial, tactical police riot gear, had already forced their way into the church prior to her arrival. Security cameras inside the church first see this person at 3:50am. This unknown individual was seen by security footage roaming the dark halls of the church, and they appear to be searching for something or someone while breaking windows and going through offices in the building.
One of her students arrived shortly after 5am and discovered Missy's body. The police were called immediately and the student reported that Missy was unresponsive and had puncture wounds to her chest and head. Police and EMS arrived at the scene, and pronounced Missy dead. Police reported that Missy Bevers' cause of death was the multiple puncture wounds to her chest and head. Although Missy’s official autopsy report was not released by investigators, police did explain to the public that her injuries were consistent with the hammer or an object that looks like a mallet, that the suspect held as they walked through the church.
Shortly after her murder, police released the surveillance video of the unknown assailant roaming the halls in an effort to bring in tips about this individual. The suspect’s gender is not discernible, they are between 5'2 and 5'8, and walked with a limp as their feet pointed outward as they walked.
A few days after Missy's murder, Missy's father-in-law, Randy Bevers, brought a blood-soaked shirt to a dry cleaner in Midlothian. He explained to the clerk that the blood was from his family dog who passed away when another dog attacked them. The blood on this shirt was later collected and tested by police, which was proven to be non-human blood. This caused the public to speculate as to whether or not the family was involved. However, Randy Bevers and his wife Vikki, as well as Missy’s husband, Brandon, all have airtight alibis and were ruled out by investigators.
There is a $50,000 reward for anyone who comes forward with information that leads to the arrest and grand jury indictment of the individual who murdered Missy Bevers.
