Fitness trainer murdered inside Midlothian church in Texas; authorities speculate targeted attack
A fitness trainer was killed inside a church in Midlothian, Texas early Monday morning. According to the authorities, the murder could have been a targeted attack, but it is also possible that Bevers was killed because she walked in on an attempted burglary.
Terri Bevers went to Creekside Church of Christ to get ready for a fitness class that she was supposed to conduct that morning. At around 5 a.m., her dead body was found by a student who attended her class.
The 45-year-old mother of three is believed to have been killed by a person wearing SWAT tactical gear. Surveillance cameras showed the suspect walking along and vandalizing the church hall at around 3:50 a.m., approximately 30 minutes before Bevers arrived.
Authorities have not been able to establish whether the suspect was a man or a woman.
"We are backing off our statement that the suspect on video was a man. I know we said 'he' over and over again yesterday, and that was a mistake," Police Assistant Chief Kevin Johnson told NBC. He said the gait and appearance showed a possibility that the suspect could be a woman.
"It's a legitimate question right now. We no longer will say the suspect is a man," Johnson said.
Although the authorities are exploring the possibility of a targeted attack, Bevers' husband Brandon believes the opposite.
"It's strictly my opinion, [but] I don't think she was targeted," Brandon said, WFAA reported. He added that he hasn't had much time to process what happened because he needs to take care of the children.
The Dallas County Medical Examiner's office has finished conducting an autopsy but police said they are not releasing information yet about the murderer's possible motive while the investigation is still going on.
"We're discussing all possibilities. And we'll go where the evidence leads us," Johnson said.
