Ex-boyfriend and fiancée behind fatal stabbing, shooting of Texas mom

45 minutes ago 6

This communicative primitively aired connected Nov. 16, 2024. It was updated connected June 6, 2026.

In the months aft Alyssa Burkett was murdered, she appeared to her mother, Teresa Collard, successful a dream.

Teresa Collard: I spot her crossed the country and successful my imagination — I knew she was gone but I was hysterically blessed that I was seeing her and I was reasoning "you're back."

Teresa Collard: She came to maine and said, no, I'm not back. And I don't privation to travel backmost and I ne'er privation to beryllium determination again. I was puzzled wherefore don't you privation to travel backmost and she said, due to the fact that I was ever acrophobic there."

Although 24-year-old Alyssa Burkett had been acrophobic for months, the onslaught astatine the flat analyzable wherever she worked successful Carrollton, Texas, northbound of Dallas, came arsenic a surprise.

THE DEADLY ATTACK ON ALYSSA BURKETT

According to Sgt. Michael Harding, 1 of the pb detectives, Alyssa pulled into her accustomed parking abstraction astatine astir 9 a.m.

Sgt. Michael Harding (in the parking lot): Alyssa's car was really parked close present ... wherever the greenish van is close here. … And the assailant's conveyance had parked close adjacent to her …

Witnesses accidental the assailant exited his vehicle, a achromatic Ford Expedition SUV, with a weapon successful his hand.

Sgt. Michael Harding (in the flat analyzable parking lot): She had the model up and helium changeable close done the upwind — close done the window.

Maintenance supervisor Darin Ickeler, who was astir 15 feet distant — "it was horrible" — heard the weapon blast and turned around.

Peter Van Sant: What bash you see?

Darin Ickeler | Witness: I see, uh, uh, achromatic SUV starting to backmost retired of the parking spot.

Investigators judge the shooter thought Alyssa was dead. The blast had destroyed her near oculus and portion of her face. But Alyssa Burkett was inactive alive.

Sgt. Michael Harding (in the parking lot): She gets retired of her car. She walks up to this landing to effort to get assistance due to the fact that she knows her — her coworkers are here.

The shooter, described by immoderate arsenic a Black man, got retired of the conveyance and began sprinting toward Alyssa. This clip with a caller limb successful his manus — thing much personal: a ample hunting knife.

Sgt. Michael Harding: He starts to — to stab her, she's inactive fighting. … (On a model of the building) determination was a humor handprint smear wherever Alyssa was trying to get anyone to travel retired and assistance her."

But fearing it was an progressive shooter situation, they stayed inside, and the attacker launched into a rabid sidesplitting frenzy — plunging his weapon into soma and bony again and again. Incredibly, Alyssa was inactive breathing erstwhile her assailant fled.

Sgt. Michael Harding: Once the fishy left, her coworkers came retired to effort to render aid.

One of her colleagues made this telephone to 911:

911 DISPATCHER: 911, what is the code of the emergency?

CALLER: Someone came up and conscionable changeable my — my adjunct manager.

911 DISPATCHER: Where is the shooter?

CALLER: I don't person capable information. He whitethorn beryllium gone, helium near successful his car, helium virtually near a 2nd ago.

Darin Ickeler: Fire section pulled up first. They travel up. I get retired of the mode and fto them bash their thing.

Peter Van Sant: They commencement moving connected her close here.

Darin Ickeler: Immediately. Yeah. And it was excessively late. She was gone.

Alyssa had been stabbed and slashed a full of 44 times. Alyssa's parent instantly gave the constabulary a name, and it wasn't a Black man; it was Andrew Beard.

Teresa Collard (police bodycam video): (Crying) I cognize helium did this … helium is an evil person.

Collard told detectives that Andrew Beard and Alyssa were successful the throes of an disfigured custody conflict implicit their 1-year-old daughter, Willow Ann — a conflict that began erstwhile Alyssa was inactive large says her friend, Brandi Reagan.

Brandi Reagan: He initiated by asking her if helium could person afloat custody of the babe aft the babe was born.

Peter Van Sant: And what did Alyssa person to accidental to his thought of him getting afloat custody?

Brandi Reagan: "You amended beryllium effing kidding maine ..."

Alyssa and Beard were worlds isolated from the beginning. He was astir 9 years older, established with a bully occupation astatine a instrumentality company, a bully house, and adjacent had a plane. She was 22, loved eating turkey legs astatine authorities fairs and was inactive figuring beingness out. After gathering connected a dating app, they had a fling, thing serious. But past she recovered retired she was large says her person and roommate, Shelbie Wright.

Shelbie Wright: I'll ne'er forget. … she's conscionable lasting there, hysterically crying, um, and upset. … She couldn't adjacent speak, and she hands maine a gestation trial that said positive. And I honestly had nary words for her.

But arsenic the gestation progressed, Alyssa's fears turned to excitement, says Wright — particularly erstwhile she learned it was a girl. On July 23, 2019, Alyssa gave commencement to a babe miss she named Willow.

Peter Van Sant: And erstwhile you saw them unneurotic … Alyssa and Willow, what was that acquisition like?

Shelbie Wright: Amazing. Motherhood looked large connected her. Yes (laughs).

Madison Grimes: Just looking astatine the 2 of them … you could archer that their narration was I mean … everything.

Madison Grimes is Alyssa's younger sister.

Madison Grimes: Willow clung to her each second, each day. And I deliberation that tells you a batch astir the parent Alyssa was.

Alyssa went backmost to assemblage and got a bully occupation arsenic an adjunct spot manager.

Madison Grimes: I deliberation everything she did astatine that constituent successful her beingness was for Willow. She wanted to beryllium palmy for Willow. She didn't privation Willow to turn up and struggle. She conscionable wanted Willow to person an casual life.

Beard, who had associated custody, had Willow a fewer days each week. But helium kept pushing for superior custody, dragging Alyssa successful and retired of tribunal hearings — emptying her slope account.

Madison Grimes: She was terrified. … Willow astatine this constituent was the astir important happening successful her life. And erstwhile she you cognize … looked astatine the bigger representation … Andrew, helium made much wealth than her … you cognize helium had a house, helium had each of the bully things that she didn't have. … So she was acrophobic that you cognize … helium wanted Willow and helium was gonna get her.

Beard's mother, Lizette Bowers, says her lad was acting retired of love, not malice.

Lizette Bowers: My lad Andrew Beard is simply a loving, lukewarm idiosyncratic who ever operated from his heart, from his halfway center. … When helium had Willow, she was perpetually strapped to the beforehand of him. He was speechmaking to her … He wanted her to spot the full world, each day.

Lizette Bowers: He conscionable felt that helium could supply her much stability.

In March 2020 erstwhile Willow was 8 months old, things seemed to alteration for the better. The feuding parents recovered communal ground, yet reaching an statement connected visitation and kid support.

Peter Van Sant: And truthful things seemed to calm down?

Madison Grimes: Things, calm down. Yeah.

But a gathering tempest was astir to travel barreling in.

"SHE WAS GENUINELY SCARED"

In the outpouring of 2020, it looked similar the bitter custody conflict betwixt Alyssa and Beard had yet travel to an end. Alyssa had a caller feline named Ben. And Beard fell hard for a pistillate named Holly Elkins, idiosyncratic his ma was thrilled about.

Lizette Bowers: I adored her from infinitesimal one. She conscionable has this charm and vigor … I warmed to her precise quickly.

Teresa Collard: Alyssa was blessed that helium started dating idiosyncratic else.

Madison Grimes: I guess, hopeful that Holly would assistance this situation, that Holly would beryllium supportive of the parent that's involved.

Elkins sent this substance to Alyssa: "… look guardant to having a ace steadfast narration with you and Ben!" Alyssa responded, "… I anticipation your power helps due to the fact that I'd emotion thing much for america each to person a steadfast narration …"

Despite Elkins' message, Beard abruptly became hostile with Alyssa. He was erstwhile again demanding superior custody of Willow, dragging Alyssa backmost into court.

Teresa Collard: He was ever precise short, precise rude, precise hateful. … it conscionable wholly changed … the mode that they communicated together.

Alyssa couldn't shingle this uneasy feeling that she was being watched and began telling household and friends that Beard ever seemed to cognize what she was doing.

Teresa Collard: He knew wherever she was. He knew wherever Willow was. He knew … conscionable different places that she had been.

Shelbie Wright: I retrieve 1 nighttime she was retired with 1 of her friends and, they were astatine a barroom successful downtown Dallas. … And she's like, texted me, "oh my gosh, Andrew is here." And successful my mind, I'm similar … the likelihood of that happening — are slim to nary … you cognize she didn't cognize however helium was tracking her she conscionable knew that she was being tracked.

Peter Van Sant: How would you picture what she went through?

Teresa Collard: Hell … I mean, each time you consciousness similar you're having to ticker implicit your shoulder. … that's however I felt she lived …

Grimes recovered a video aft Alyssa's death. It was ne'er posted.

ALYSSA BURKETT (video): Hi everyone, my name's Alyssa. So this past year, I person been going done a custody battle. A precise disfigured one. I person a 1-year-old child. It's taken a toll connected my intelligence and carnal health. … With that being said, I've go a batch stronger successful the process. … And I conjecture conscionable my connection is nary substance what you're going through, instrumentality it out. You tin bash it. And enactment strong.

But Alyssa would proceed to beryllium tested. In September 2020, 1 period earlier her murder, it reached a full caller level. A man, who said his sanction was Frank Marrow, called 911 and reported that Alyssa was selling drugs retired of the trunk of her car astatine work.

CALLER: I saw … what I thought looked similar idiosyncratic conscionable selling immoderate drugs retired of … their trunk. And I could odor it and I could spot it.

911 DISPATCHER OK, what benignant of conveyance is it?

CALLER: …it's a small Toyota Corolla ... I person a licence sheet if that helps.

911 DISPATCHER: OK, Frank. ...what was your past name?

CALLER: Marrow.

Acting connected this tip, Carrollton Police officers descended connected the Greentree Apartments leasing bureau and confronted Alyssa. She gave them the keys to her car, and they opened the trunk. Inside, they discovered drugs, a pistol, and immoderate currency precisely wherever the caller said they would be.

Peter Van Sant: So your girl abruptly present looks similar a cause dealer, and a unsafe 1 arsenic well. She's armed.

Teresa Collard: Yes.

Peter Van Sant: I mean, is Alyssa … disquieted that she's gonna get arrested? Lose her job?

Teresa Collard: Yes. All of the above. She's disquieted astir her job. She thinks, yeah, she's gonna beryllium arrested. Now, he's gonna usage this successful court. So she's for definite gonna suffer Willow.

After questioning Alyssa, it was wide to constabulary that she knew thing astir the drugs and pistol successful the trunk of her car. They concluded those items had been planted. The caller had tried to framework her. Alyssa knew successful her gut that caller was Andrew Beard. Later that day, she texted her roommate Shelbie.

Shelbie Wright: Alyssa messaged maine and said … "he is going to effort to get idiosyncratic to termination maine next."

Peter Van Sant: And erstwhile you work those words?

Shelbie Wright: My bosom dropped.

Brandi Reagan: That wasn't who she was. She wasn't a fearful person. ... showing and asking for assistance shows maine that she was genuinely scared.

Shelbie Wright: She knew that, you know, immoderate was coming adjacent was going to beryllium serious.

The erstwhile fearless young pistillate had go frightened for her life. These are immoderate of the texts she sent to her sister Madison:

"Come implicit portion I locomotion inside"

"Lock the doorway down you"

"Do you spot anyone astir you"

And Alyssa wasn't the lone 1 who was terrified.

Madison Grimes: ... it kept progressing. Each happening that helium would bash conscionable kept getting worse. And aft this constituent framing her and she didn't get arrested, I thought, well, what other is determination to bash too termination her?

ZEROING IN ON ANDREW BEARD

One period aft the drugs and weapon were planted successful Alyssa Burkett's car, she was dead.

TERESA COLLARD (police bodycam video): I knew that it was him erstwhile — erstwhile the drugs didn't enactment successful the car for him to get the babe …

Det. Jeremy Chevallier: Once we talked to Alyssa's ma … we had an thought who we were looking for.

Peter Van Sant: And who is that person?

Det. Jeremy Chevallier: That idiosyncratic was Andrew Beard.

And to Collard's horror, helium had visitation with Willow that day. The babe was with him.

TERESA COLLARD (police bodycam video): ... yes — I privation my grandbaby distant from him.

Madison Grimes: My archetypal thoughts were … he's gonna termination Willow.

Within hours of the murder, the constabulary pulled implicit Beard's F-150 pickup motortruck for an alleged postulation violation. Beard and his fiancée, Holly Elkins, were asked to get retired the vehicle.

OFFICER (bodycam video): The girl is successful the car spot successful the backmost seat.

OFFICER (bodycam video): They've been beauteous cooperative.

Beard seemed unfazed by the full thing, says Harding.

Sgt. Michael Harding: He was precise calm. … helium wasn't amped up … helium — helium didn't look nervous.

OFFICER 2 (bodycam video): My portion was to conscionable find you. That's each they asked maine to do.

Ultimately Beard and Elkins were allowed to go, and due to the fact that helium had tribunal mandated visitation rights, instrumentality Willow with them. But the constabulary seized his F-150 pickup and instructed him not to instrumentality home. Beard, Elkins, and Willow went to a hotel. That night, a hunt of Beard's location turned up captious evidence, such arsenic an envelope scribbled with incriminating notes.

Sgt. Michael Harding: Upon speechmaking the notes, we realized those were tied to — the Frank Marrow 911 call.

Frank Marrow — that caller who had reported Alyssa was selling drugs retired of her car.

Sgt. Michael Harding: Alyssa's licence sheet number, the color, and exemplary of the conveyance … Frank Marrow … everything that helium needed to marque that 911 telephone was connected this backmost of this envelope.

Peter Van Sant: It's similar you discovered the screenplay to this — phony telephone to 911.

Sgt. Michael Harding: Yes.

Sgt. Michael Harding: I was benignant of shocked. I was like, helium — helium kept this?

Also successful plain view, says Jeremy Chevallier, different pb detective, charging stations and batteries that matched the tracking instrumentality detectives discovered connected Alyssa's car aft the murder.

Det. Jeremy Chevallier: That was each portion of his program to — to drawback her doing thing that helium believed that she — shouldn't beryllium doing. … to summation an vantage successful that … kid custody dispute.

A hunt of that F-150 seized astatine the postulation halt turned up much jaw-dropping evidence.

Det. Jeremy Chevallier (holding a vial): So this is — 1 of the constitution vials that were recovered from wrong 1 of the bags successful the F-150.

It was a instauration called Java.

Det. Jeremy Chevallier: It's truly dark. Very dark.

Peter Van Sant: And the intent of that was what bash you believe?

Det. Jeremy Chevallier: Was to … disguise Andrew Beard's face, to marque him look similar an African American.

The constabulary recovered the weapon sheath astatine the country but ne'er recovered the weapon oregon the gun. But the time aft the homicide they recovered thing conscionable arsenic important: that achromatic SUV. They learned Beard had bought it specifically to perpetrate the murder. And determination it was — abandoned little than a mile from Beard's house.

Det. Jeremy Chevallier: … helium drove it to that location, and helium fled backmost to his location the … the greeting of the murder.

Beard is captured connected a location information camera fleeing done the neighborhood.

Det. Jeremy Chevallier: He is — doing the bigfoot tally from this vehicle.

Peter Van Sant: What'd you find erstwhile you guys processed the wrong of this vehicle?

Det. Jeremy Chevallier: We were capable to retrieve aggregate spots wherever humor was recovered. that was aboriginal tested to beryllium Alyssa's blood.

They besides recovered different portion of his disguise: a fake beard.

Peter Van Sant: That looks similar a Halloween benignant of beard.

Det. Jeremy Chevallier: Exactly, helium — had purchased a Halloween costume.

Det. Jeremy Chevallier: So, that's what led america to get the apprehension warrant for Andrew Beard.

Beard, who inactive had Willow, had been staying successful an Airbnb with his fiancée, Holly Elkins, and his mother, Lizette Bowers.

Lizette Bowers: When we were astatine the Airbnb, helium got a telephone … helium was going to beryllium arrested …

Just 3 days aft Alyssa was killed, Willow was sent backmost to Collard and Beard turned himself successful to the police. He was charged with murder.

Lizette Bowers: I was assured … they had the incorrect man.

So was Holly Elkins. She volunteered to talk to the constabulary — incredulous that the antheral she planned to wed was susceptible of murder.

HOLLY ANN ELKINS (police interview): So I conscionable told each my friends and household that I'm engaged to the astir fantastic antheral connected the planet.

DET. CHEVALLIER: Yeah.

HOLLY ANN ELKINS: And present radical privation maine to judge that he's not that.

DET. CHEVALLIER: There — and determination are truthful galore affectional roadblocks for you to effort to judge that. I get that.

HOLLY ANN ELKINS: I can't judge that my fiancé would bash thing similar that to a pistillate oregon to anybody, but a woman.

Chevallier and Harding interviewed Elkins for astir an hour, hoping to crook her into a witnesser for the prosecution.

DET. CHEVALLIER: I'm telling you determination is simply a broadside of him you bash not know.

But Elkins stood by Beard, insisting that helium had an alibi: helium was location with her erstwhile the execution took place.

DET. CHEVALLIER: There are a fewer hours that you cognize helium was not successful that house.

HOLLY ANN ELKINS: You cannot archer maine that I consciousness that way, sir.

DET. CHEVALLIER: I tin — I tin archer you that due to the fact that I cognize that for a information that helium was retired of the house, Holly.

HOLLY ANN ELKINS: I don't cognize that for a fact.

Elkins remained adamant that she would person known if helium had left.

HOLLY ANN ELKINS: I americium a full signifier 5 clinger girlfriend. I'm ever up his ass. I find it hard to judge ...

The interrogation ended with Elkins lasting by her man. She and Beard's ma continued surviving unneurotic successful an Airbnb. They became highly adjacent and bonded implicit their shared content that Beard was innocent, says Bowers.

Lizette Bowers: We stayed truthful close. We were conscionable connected astatine the hep and made agreements to ne'er spell anyplace without 1 another.

Finally, aft 2 weeks down bars, Beard was released connected bond. Bowers was overjoyed. Elkins, arsenic Bowers would soon discover, not truthful much.

Lizette Bowers: They've told america he's coming location tomorrow. And Holly says … "I'm going." … She's holding her suitcase and — and she goes … "I'm leaving … I'm going home" … But the time earlier Andrew gets home? What — wherefore are you choosing now? … during this scary, scary clip … for — successful his life. … She'd already ordered … her — her Uber and ne'er came back.

Chevallier says helium was truthful disquieted astir Willow's information helium reached retired to the national authorities to instrumentality the lawsuit nether national firearm laws. Because an unregistered silencer was recovered successful Beard's home, the feds agreed. Beard was rearrested 8 days aft helium bonded out.

Det. Jeremy Chevallier: Ultimately, astatine that point, our extremity was to get him backmost into custody.

Beard was yet charged with cyberstalking utilizing a unsafe limb resulting successful death. One twelvemonth and 8 months aft Alyssa's murder, Beard called his parent with unimaginable news.

Lizette Bowers: He said, you know, mom, I'm – "I'm going to plead guilty." … So, I instantly said, "well, Andrew, you're not going to — you're not going to plead blameworthy to thing you didn't do." … Because clearly, helium didn't execution her successful my caput due to the fact that that's retired of quality and not who helium is. And it was stupidly done and he's not stupid. So it ne'er was him.

But she would larn it was him. He admitted helium did it. He killed the parent of his child.

Lizette Bowers: I person physically dropped to my knees, sometimes feeling similar I've gotten punched successful the stomach. And I person to archer myself — I person to archer myself that that was, um, a moment, a heinous, atrocious out-of-character breached moment.

Beard pleaded guilty.

But the probe wasn't over.

Beard was talking and helium had a batch to say.

HOLLY ELKINS' GAME OF CAT AND MOUSE

Holly Elkins near Texas and returned to her location authorities of Michigan two-and-a-half weeks aft the execution of Alyssa Burkett. She gave nary hint of what she'd near down says her champion person from childhood, Stephanie Goddard.

Peter Van Sant: Did she ever notation the sanction Alyssa Burkett to you?

Stephanie Goddard: Never.

Peter Van Sant: Never.

Stephanie Goddard: Never. Never.

Peter Van Sant: Not once. She didn't speech astir Andrew Beard either?

Stephanie Goddard: Not adjacent once, nope.

Goddard, who met up with Elkins astir 7 months aft she returned to Michigan, says her aged person appeared to beryllium starting beingness anew. She had a caller condo, a caller Lexus, and a caller man.

Stephanie Goddard: She had this fellow with her. So, everything conscionable seemed truly normal.

Goddard says, from the clip she was a teenager, Elkins ever had a feline and she knew however to wrapper them astir her small finger.

Stephanie Goddard: it was similar a cat-and-mouse thing.

Peter Van Sant: When you accidental feline and mouse, she was the cat?

Stephanie Goddard: Oh, perfectly (laughs). Yes, she was the cat.

Peter Van Sant: She controlled the relationship.

Stephanie Goddard: Absolutely. She was the 1 successful the driver's seat.

Back successful Texas, investigators were conscionable opening to larn much astir the fiancée who had skipped municipality aft the murder. One twelvemonth and 9 months aft Alyssa was killed, Beard spoke to the FBI arsenic portion of a plea deal.

ANDREW BEARD (FBI interview): I'm assuming, absolutely, it does look planned out, 'cause it was. The process was planned out.

It rapidly became wide to investigators that this Holly Elkins — "I'm trying to assistance and nary one's helping me" — the Holly Elkins seemingly torn isolated by Alyssa's decease was giving the show of her life.

HOLLY ANN ELKINS (police interview): I conscionable consciousness bad, you know. (crying) I conscionable consciousness atrocious to not assistance thing that I deliberation is precise bittersweet that happened.

DET. CHAVALLIER: Mm-hmm.

HOLLY ANN ELKINS: I've virtually cried myself to nauseam each azygous nighttime implicit this.

Peter Van Sant: What did you larn … astir her existent feelings astir Alyssa?

Sgt. Michael Harding: She hated Alyssa with a — with a burning passion.

Investigators dug backmost into Beard and Elkins' substance messages, galore of which Alyssa's household besides saw.

Peter Van Sant: Both of you learned that Holly had, um, immoderate derogatory words astir Alyssa. … What did she telephone her?

Madison Grimes: Ugly, fat, a atrocious mom, each things that she wasn't. And … C*** Baby Mama … is — was my sister's interaction sanction successful Holly's phone.

Peter Van Sant: What the heck's each that?

Madison Grimes: Jealousy.

Elkins wanted thing Alyssa had and she didn't, says Grimes.

Madison Grimes: She wanted Willow.

Peter Van Sant: Why was she truthful obsessed with Willow?

Det. Jeremy Chevallier: That was her life. … she wanted a … a cleanable household and that was her mode of getting it ... Alyssa was gonna basal successful her mode of doing that.

The much Beard talked the clearer Elkins' relation became says Chevallier.

Peter Van Sant: What representation did helium overgarment of Holly Elkins?

Det. Jeremy Chevallier: That she was the 1 moving the show, uh, that she was telling him what helium was gonna do, erstwhile helium was gonna bash it, however helium was gonna bash it.

Remember that cause plant?

ANDREW BEARD (FBI interview): If you were to inquire maine whose thought was what, drugs and — and — the planting of drugs was — was Elkins.

Elkins adjacent tried to get Alyssa's ma Teresa Collard arrested. The incidental started erstwhile Collard and Alyssa drove by Elkins and Beard's home. Collard says Elkins and Beard had failed to instrumentality Willow astatine the appointed time.

Teresa Collard: We spot Holly connected the play cart with Willow successful her thigh coming towards the extremity of their driveway. … I got retired of the car … and I grabbed Willow, went, and got backmost successful the car, handed Willow to Alyssa, and sped off

Elkins instantly called the constabulary who arrived with bodycams rolling. Elkins told them Collard assaulted her erstwhile she grabbed Willow from her lap.

HOLLY ELKINS (police bodycam video): She virtually attacked maine from down oregon from down side. I was facing the lake.

Collard says she ne'er touched Elkins. But Elkins pulled up her garment to amusement cops scratches she claimed Teresa had inflicted.

HOLLY ELKINS (police bodycam video): OK I person a, uh, connected my tummy too.

OFFICER 2: No, no, no. Oh, you person immoderate successful your — connected your stomach?

Peter Van Sant: What did you deliberation of those pictures?

Teresa Collard: That they were ridiculous … that it was truthful evident that she had done that to herself?

Madison Grimes: How would they adjacent deliberation idiosyncratic other did that to her? Because they're going downwards, similar your ain manus did it.

The constabulary agreed, concluding the injuries looked similar they were self-inflicted. But it lone made things much unsafe for Alyssa, says Chevallier.

Det. Jeremy Chevallier: The things that they were doing to effort to get custody of Willow wasn't moving astatine that point. And I deliberation that they decided … we — we gotta up the crippled and, uh, up successful the crippled meant getting escaped of — of Alyssa.

Elkins began playing her crippled of feline and mouse.

ANDREW BEARD (FBI interview): It was made precise wide to maine that your erstwhile methods aren't working, this is what you're gonna bash present successful bid to beryllium that, um — that — that — that you're — fundamentally you're worthy.

Worthy of being a antheral who deserved her love.

Peter Van Sant: Holly Elkins writes to Andrew, "I don't privation anyone who is simply a pussy to immoderate debased beingness oregon a pushover. I privation a antheral who protects his women and kid earlier anyone and doesn't springiness 2 Fs otherwise" … Your comment?

Det. Jeremy Chevallier: Just straightforward manipulation. ... she was gonna marque him bash what she felt needed to beryllium done nary substance what.

And Beard told investigators it worked.

ANDREW BEARD (FBI interview) Like, I was emotionally drained. And astatine that point, I conscionable fundamentally said, OK, and became submissive to immoderate she wanted maine to do, that's the task I did.

A week-and-a-half earlier the murder, Elkins near for Mexico, but didn't fto up connected Beard.

Peter Van Sant: Here's a text. This is 1 week earlier the murders. This .s September 25th, 2020. … Holly Elkins writes, "I anticipation you grip it. I'm not coming location to BS." Andrew Beard says, "that's my goal."

To that, Elkins texted back.

Peter Van Sant (reading text): "Well, it volition beryllium a full antithetic speech if I consciousness similar you are thrust oregon die. If not, past I don't know." What is she saying to him?

Det. Jeremy Chevallier: … to maine it means you're either with maine oregon you're not with me. Uh, you're either gonna thrust with maine and dice with maine … oregon you're not gonna beryllium with maine astatine all.

After helium killed Alyssa, Beard told investigators Elkins begged for details astir the crime.

Det. Jeremy Chevallier: … her petition was that helium described, uh, the execution to her portion they were successful furniture together.

Sgt. Michael Harding: It's 1 of the astir degrading things I've ever heard.

In May 2023, Beard was sentenced to 43 years successful national prison. Investigators judge Elkins thought the lawsuit was over.

Det. Jeremy Chevallier: I deliberation she believed that the further she got distant from this, the little progressive she was gonna be, but it didn't enactment retired for her.

THE FBI BUILDS COMPELLING CASE AGAINST HOLLY ELKINS

In July 2023, astir 3 years aft Alyssa's death, Holly Elkins was arrested by national agents astatine the Miami Airport arsenic she was returning from a travel to the Dominican Republic. An apprehension a agelong clip coming for Alyssa's family.

Madison Grimes: I thought — we were ne'er gonna spot that happen. … I felt relief.

Elkins, who pleaded not guilty, was charged with conspiracy to stalk and stalking utilizing a unsafe limb resulting successful death. The FBI had built a compelling lawsuit against her, says Chevallier.

Det. Jeremy Chevallier: Holly's telephone truly had a batch of worldly connected it. … searching for tracking devices … determination were indications that they were together, whenever the ammunition … and the weapon were purchased.

And they besides tied Elkins to the constitution Beard utilized to disguise himself arsenic a Black man.

ANDREW BEARD (FBI interview): It was, um, you're going to formal — formal up arsenic a — arsenic a, uh, antithetic person, essentially. You're gonna deterioration this acheronian makeup. … That was her program … that was however it's gonna beryllium done.

While Beard seems harmless portion being questioned, ne'er hide that helium was the 1 who chased Alyssa down similar a huntsman tracking a wounded animal. He furiously stabbed her with a brutality these detectives had ne'er seen.

Peter Van Sant: Andrew ends up saying astir wherefore helium came backmost to decorativeness her. What did helium say?

Det. Jeremy Chevallier: His connection to america during the interrogation with Agent Hanson was that helium did it retired of mercy, that helium knew that she was inactive alive, and helium was someway doing her a favour … by — by sidesplitting her.

Beard whitethorn person committed the execution alone, but according to the U.S. Attorney's Office, helium didn't program it alone. In April 2024, Holly Elkins went connected proceedings arsenic a co-conspirator. In the courtroom wherever nary cameras were permitted, 1 of the prosecutors enactment it similar this, says Harding: "Andrew Beard is simply a monster, but helium was Holly Elkins' monster."

HOLLY ELKINS (police interview): I don't privation oregon request a lawyer due to the fact that I don't person thing to fell …

U.S. attorneys painted a representation of a pistillate who would halt astatine thing to get what she wanted.

HOLLY ANN ELKINS (police interview): Will I consciousness similar the dumbest, astir manipulated pistillate connected the full satellite if this is true? Yes.

And what she wanted was a small miss named Willow.

Peter Van Sant: And bash you judge Holly Elkins was a puppet maestro successful each of this?

Sgt. Michael Harding: 100% I bash … she orchestrated this full thing.

Lizette Bowers: I deliberation Holly is wicked. I deliberation she's wicked to the core, that she would ever privation this to hap to different woman, to a mother, to a parent of the kid that she had travel to love.

Peter Van Sant: What if these 2 had ne'er travel together, Holly and Andrew. Would Andrew person committed this murder?

Sgt. Michael Harding: I don't deliberation they would have. I 100% judge that if Holly and Andrew had ne'er met that Alyssa Burkett would beryllium live today.

After a one-week trial, the lawsuit went to the jury.

Peter Van Sant: The assemblage takes conscionable 90 minutes to deliberate. When they travel backmost to that courtroom, what is the verdict?

Sgt. Michael Harding: Guilty.

Det. Jeremy Chevallier: Guilty.

Elkins was recovered guilty and sentenced to 2 beingness presumption — overmuch longer than Beard.

For Alyssa's family, the verdict was a bittersweet victory.

Madison Grimes: I was thrilled, but heartbroken astatine the aforesaid clip due to the fact that — I'm truthful blessed that, you know, Alyssa's getting the justness she deserved, but astatine that constituent it's implicit ... our combat is over.

Two families are near to grapple with the wreckage Elkins and Beard near behind. Lizette Bowers volition everlastingly beryllium known arsenic the parent of a murderer.

Lizette Bowers: He killed someone. And that is beyond awful. … It's the worst happening anyone tin do. But that's not who I love.

And Collard and Grimes indispensable effort to marque consciousness of a satellite without Alyssa successful it.

Madison Grimes: We don't get to unrecorded the mean beingness anymore. … It was ever maine and her … my champion friend, similar … that was my person, and lone getting to beryllium with her for 20 years, that's not — conscionable not fair.

After the trial, Collard was allowed to instrumentality Alyssa's things retired of her car.

Teresa Collard: It was beauteous affectional for each of america really … this was the reflector that she utilized truthful she could spot Willow from the driver's spot ... you know, conscionable knowing that was the past spot she was sitting erstwhile it happened.

Willow, who was with Collard, had ne'er cried implicit her parent until that day.

Teresa Collard: She was crying, asking maine if I could delight bring her ma backmost conscionable truthful she could spot her 1 much time. … And I tried to explicate to her that she's successful eden … And then, she asked maine if she had a telephone number. … successful heaven.

One day, Willow volition larn the full communicative of what happened to her mother.

And erstwhile that clip comes, her household hopes Willow volition spot the quality successful Alyssa's life, not the calamity of her death.

Teresa Collard: I anticipation that 1 time she grows up … and she feels the emotion that her ma sincerely had for her.

"48 HOURS" POST MORTEM PODCAST

"48 Hours" Correspondent Peter Van Sant is joined by Producers Liza Finley and Gabby Demirdjian to interruption down the grounds against Andrew Beard's erstwhile fiancée, Holly Elkins. They sermon the damning substance messages betwixt them and an antithetic adept the defence called astatine her trial: a make-up artist.

Produced by Liza Finley and Gabriella Demirdjian Gregory M. McLaughlin is the producer-editor. Diana Modica and Wini Dini are the editors. David Dow and Sara Ely Hulse are the improvement Producers. Megan Kelly Brown is the subordinate producer. Peter Schweitzer is the elder producer. Nancy Kramer is the enforcement communicative editor. Judy Tygard is the enforcement producer.

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