1 00:00:00,160 --> 00:00:06,640 Speaker 1: Murder on Songbird Road is a production of iHeart Podcasts. 2 00:00:09,200 --> 00:00:11,600 Speaker 1: What follows is a nine one one call place buy 3 00:00:11,600 --> 00:00:14,600 Speaker 1: a woman named Julia Beverly in December of twenty twenty. 4 00:00:15,200 --> 00:00:18,280 Speaker 1: Its content may be disturbing to some listeners. 5 00:00:19,400 --> 00:00:27,480 Speaker 2: Hey, Julie, Okay, okay, okay listen content? 6 00:00:27,600 --> 00:00:29,280 Speaker 3: What is listen to me? 7 00:00:29,360 --> 00:00:29,720 Speaker 4: Condent? 8 00:00:29,760 --> 00:00:30,800 Speaker 5: What's your address? 9 00:00:32,960 --> 00:00:33,200 Speaker 6: Four? 10 00:00:33,520 --> 00:00:38,360 Speaker 1: One three zero four is un murder Aia, Illinois? 11 00:00:38,440 --> 00:00:38,760 Speaker 4: Okay? 12 00:00:38,760 --> 00:00:39,920 Speaker 1: Okay, okay listen? 13 00:00:40,240 --> 00:00:42,920 Speaker 5: He said one three zero four songbird. 14 00:00:43,600 --> 00:00:48,839 Speaker 7: And one there is zero four okay. 15 00:00:48,840 --> 00:00:52,520 Speaker 1: Sometimes you find a story, sometimes the story finds you. 16 00:00:53,320 --> 00:00:57,320 Speaker 1: The message request started coming in through Facebook February sixteenth, 17 00:00:57,360 --> 00:01:00,360 Speaker 1: of twenty twenty three. The first one was a link 18 00:01:00,400 --> 00:01:04,480 Speaker 1: to an article with the headline jury finds Julia Beverly 19 00:01:04,520 --> 00:01:08,480 Speaker 1: guilty in the stabbing death of Jade Beasley. It was 20 00:01:08,640 --> 00:01:13,400 Speaker 1: immediately followed up with a message notification, which was immediately unsent, 21 00:01:13,880 --> 00:01:18,039 Speaker 1: and then this text please prayer hand emoji if you 22 00:01:18,120 --> 00:01:22,360 Speaker 1: can help considering. The prosecution's ending argument was even though 23 00:01:22,360 --> 00:01:26,480 Speaker 1: we have no physical evidence, dot dot dot yet guilty. 24 00:01:27,920 --> 00:01:31,119 Speaker 1: And so began a steady stream of missed video calls 25 00:01:31,120 --> 00:01:33,000 Speaker 1: and links pertaining to this case. 26 00:01:34,120 --> 00:01:36,840 Speaker 8: A jury trial for a Williamson County woman accused of 27 00:01:36,920 --> 00:01:40,479 Speaker 8: murdering a young girl starts tomorrow. Julia Beverley is set 28 00:01:40,520 --> 00:01:43,040 Speaker 8: to be in county court tomorrow morning at nine. She's 29 00:01:43,080 --> 00:01:46,200 Speaker 8: accused of murdering eleven year old Jade Beasley in December 30 00:01:46,200 --> 00:01:49,480 Speaker 8: of twenty twenty. Beasley died from multiple stab wounds. According 31 00:01:49,480 --> 00:01:52,880 Speaker 8: to investigators. Beverly pleaded not guilty. In the wake of 32 00:01:53,040 --> 00:01:53,920 Speaker 8: Beasley's death. 33 00:01:55,160 --> 00:01:58,680 Speaker 1: In Marion, Illinois, an eleven year old girl brutally stabbed 34 00:01:58,680 --> 00:02:03,160 Speaker 1: to death her father's longtime living girlfriend, maintaining innocence but 35 00:02:03,600 --> 00:02:04,880 Speaker 1: charged with her murder. 36 00:02:05,640 --> 00:02:08,800 Speaker 9: I ain't gonna life, you know, by the news articles, 37 00:02:09,280 --> 00:02:12,240 Speaker 9: I thought she was guilty at hers, aspiring what the 38 00:02:12,320 --> 00:02:12,800 Speaker 9: news said. 39 00:02:13,440 --> 00:02:17,560 Speaker 1: That's Whitney Nicole, the woman behind my myriad of Facebook messages. 40 00:02:18,280 --> 00:02:23,240 Speaker 3: I'm just a resident of this town and I can't 41 00:02:23,280 --> 00:02:28,120 Speaker 3: be quiet, and this eleven't innocent woman, but I believe 42 00:02:28,840 --> 00:02:31,000 Speaker 3: truly is innocent to. 43 00:02:31,160 --> 00:02:36,440 Speaker 9: Just sit in wat'e more of her time behind ours. 44 00:02:36,720 --> 00:02:40,480 Speaker 1: Whitney speaks the way she communicated on Facebook a bit 45 00:02:40,720 --> 00:02:41,640 Speaker 1: in bursts. 46 00:02:42,160 --> 00:02:47,880 Speaker 9: Marrying has always been a sweet stuff under the red 47 00:02:48,000 --> 00:02:50,040 Speaker 9: type of deal around here. 48 00:02:50,360 --> 00:02:55,680 Speaker 7: They don't saw murders they cover, and these journalists around 49 00:02:55,800 --> 00:03:01,000 Speaker 7: here or news reporters are ridiculous. 50 00:03:01,160 --> 00:03:02,359 Speaker 3: They were lives. 51 00:03:02,800 --> 00:03:06,440 Speaker 9: And it's not innocent a proven guilty around here, it's 52 00:03:06,680 --> 00:03:07,400 Speaker 9: you're guilty. 53 00:03:08,520 --> 00:03:12,919 Speaker 1: Her outreach seems sincerely motivated by her concern for Julia Beverly, 54 00:03:13,480 --> 00:03:15,440 Speaker 1: a woman she says she barely knows. 55 00:03:16,280 --> 00:03:19,399 Speaker 9: I haven't only met her, probably a couple of times. 56 00:03:20,360 --> 00:03:24,720 Speaker 9: But I'm just seeing all the Ronalds. I just this girl, 57 00:03:24,840 --> 00:03:27,960 Speaker 9: it just needs help. That's a sorry for her, like 58 00:03:28,120 --> 00:03:29,519 Speaker 9: she does not deserve this. 59 00:03:32,040 --> 00:03:35,280 Speaker 1: I'm Lauren brad Pacheco, and this is murder on some 60 00:03:35,480 --> 00:03:59,280 Speaker 1: Bird Road. The nine one one call came in Saturday, 61 00:03:59,360 --> 00:04:03,680 Speaker 1: December five, twenty twenty, at twelve twenty four pm. It 62 00:04:03,840 --> 00:04:07,480 Speaker 1: was an unseasonably warm winter day in Illinois, sunny, with 63 00:04:07,560 --> 00:04:09,120 Speaker 1: a high of fifty four degrees. 64 00:04:11,440 --> 00:04:13,160 Speaker 4: He said, someone had broken into your house. 65 00:04:14,360 --> 00:04:18,280 Speaker 1: Yeah, when it broke in, they were running out as 66 00:04:18,320 --> 00:04:19,480 Speaker 1: I was coming home. 67 00:04:19,360 --> 00:04:23,960 Speaker 9: From Okay, listen, listen to me. 68 00:04:23,960 --> 00:04:24,760 Speaker 2: You're gonna take a bit. 69 00:04:24,839 --> 00:04:26,080 Speaker 4: I can't understand what you're saying. 70 00:04:26,880 --> 00:04:28,200 Speaker 5: Okay. 71 00:04:28,520 --> 00:04:32,880 Speaker 1: It originated from a somewhat rural section of Marion, Illinois, 72 00:04:33,000 --> 00:04:36,960 Speaker 1: a flat area of former farmland peppered with modest, mostly 73 00:04:37,080 --> 00:04:38,560 Speaker 1: ranch style homes. 74 00:04:39,760 --> 00:04:41,479 Speaker 4: He said, someone came running out of your house. 75 00:04:43,080 --> 00:04:45,160 Speaker 10: Daly got running out wherever home? 76 00:04:46,000 --> 00:04:46,320 Speaker 2: I know? 77 00:04:46,520 --> 00:04:47,400 Speaker 9: My norm was over? 78 00:04:47,839 --> 00:04:52,040 Speaker 1: Okay. The stretch of Songbird Road where the murder occurred 79 00:04:52,440 --> 00:04:56,560 Speaker 1: is dotted with Little League baseball fields, some still playable, 80 00:04:56,920 --> 00:05:02,360 Speaker 1: most overgrown by weeds and sectioned off, resting chain link fences, 81 00:05:02,400 --> 00:05:06,599 Speaker 1: exuding an eerie air of time suspended and innocence lost. 82 00:05:07,360 --> 00:05:08,360 Speaker 8: Which way did they go? 83 00:05:11,240 --> 00:05:14,800 Speaker 10: That is right out where all one? And I came 84 00:05:14,880 --> 00:05:16,080 Speaker 10: in the check on Jane. 85 00:05:17,160 --> 00:05:20,680 Speaker 1: The call lasts for nearly twelve minutes. As a sobbing 86 00:05:20,880 --> 00:05:23,480 Speaker 1: Julia Beverley struggles to speak. 87 00:05:23,720 --> 00:05:25,120 Speaker 11: Who are else than the residence? 88 00:05:27,000 --> 00:05:28,160 Speaker 10: This is me right now? 89 00:05:28,279 --> 00:05:29,560 Speaker 9: But darn't? 90 00:05:30,040 --> 00:05:30,280 Speaker 10: Dead? 91 00:05:30,520 --> 00:05:31,520 Speaker 3: Is in the bottom? 92 00:05:32,400 --> 00:05:34,400 Speaker 9: We've got multiple one all over? 93 00:05:36,240 --> 00:05:41,080 Speaker 8: Okay? 94 00:05:41,720 --> 00:05:43,000 Speaker 1: Who is it in the bathtomb? 95 00:05:44,720 --> 00:05:45,320 Speaker 7: Is much time? 96 00:05:45,440 --> 00:05:45,719 Speaker 1: Hatter? 97 00:05:46,160 --> 00:05:46,520 Speaker 9: Okay? 98 00:05:46,640 --> 00:05:47,360 Speaker 2: How old is she. 99 00:05:49,440 --> 00:05:49,640 Speaker 6: One? 100 00:05:50,520 --> 00:05:50,839 Speaker 11: Okay? 101 00:05:54,640 --> 00:05:57,240 Speaker 1: Is she awakes? 102 00:05:57,440 --> 00:05:57,480 Speaker 12: No? 103 00:05:57,800 --> 00:05:59,680 Speaker 6: I think that's not moving. 104 00:06:00,160 --> 00:06:00,480 Speaker 9: Okay. 105 00:06:01,560 --> 00:06:02,000 Speaker 12: Hold on. 106 00:06:06,920 --> 00:06:08,040 Speaker 4: When that person left? 107 00:06:08,040 --> 00:06:09,960 Speaker 11: Did they leave in a vehicle or on foot? 108 00:06:11,520 --> 00:06:13,560 Speaker 4: They were on pos They just took over rudden. 109 00:06:15,560 --> 00:06:16,520 Speaker 8: Okay? 110 00:06:17,200 --> 00:06:19,080 Speaker 5: Could you tell if there was a male or a female? 111 00:06:20,960 --> 00:06:21,719 Speaker 2: It was a male? 112 00:06:27,600 --> 00:06:29,480 Speaker 4: Could you tell that colored shirt he was wearing. 113 00:06:31,200 --> 00:06:32,360 Speaker 9: He wasn't all black. 114 00:06:33,080 --> 00:06:33,440 Speaker 4: Okay. 115 00:06:34,240 --> 00:06:37,000 Speaker 1: Police arrived on the scene at twelve thirty five. 116 00:06:40,040 --> 00:06:42,799 Speaker 2: Thought, okay, there's. 117 00:06:42,600 --> 00:06:47,200 Speaker 11: An author's tree pulling end. 118 00:06:48,080 --> 00:06:49,640 Speaker 5: Okay, Joe, I wanna let you talk to them. 119 00:06:49,640 --> 00:06:51,919 Speaker 9: Okay, thank you. 120 00:06:54,560 --> 00:06:58,640 Speaker 1: They would find a still hysterical Julia Elaine Beverly, aged 121 00:06:58,640 --> 00:07:02,440 Speaker 1: twenty nine, inside the house in a bathtub with cold 122 00:07:02,520 --> 00:07:06,720 Speaker 1: running water. They would discover eleven year old Jade Marie Beasley. 123 00:07:07,360 --> 00:07:10,640 Speaker 1: Jade would be pronounced dead at the scene. The cause 124 00:07:10,640 --> 00:07:13,880 Speaker 1: of death was loss of blood from multiple stab wounds. 125 00:07:18,520 --> 00:07:21,760 Speaker 1: Through existing media coverage, I could quickly piece together that 126 00:07:21,880 --> 00:07:25,360 Speaker 1: Julia Beverly and Jade's father, Mike Beasley, had been a 127 00:07:25,360 --> 00:07:28,640 Speaker 1: couple for nearly eight years. They both had a child 128 00:07:28,680 --> 00:07:32,360 Speaker 1: from previous relationships who were about the same age. Jade 129 00:07:32,400 --> 00:07:35,280 Speaker 1: was eleven and Julia's son, Jaden, was ten years old 130 00:07:35,360 --> 00:07:38,320 Speaker 1: at the time of the murder. In addition, the couple 131 00:07:38,440 --> 00:07:42,119 Speaker 1: shared two young daughters together. One was three at the time, 132 00:07:42,360 --> 00:07:44,760 Speaker 1: the other was just one and a half years old. 133 00:07:45,640 --> 00:07:48,960 Speaker 1: That Saturday morning, Julia Beverly and Jade Beasley were the 134 00:07:49,000 --> 00:07:52,680 Speaker 1: only people in their one floor modular home. Mike was 135 00:07:52,720 --> 00:07:54,840 Speaker 1: at work as a cook at the local cracker barrel. 136 00:07:55,120 --> 00:07:58,440 Speaker 1: Julia's son, Jaden, was visiting his birth father, and the 137 00:07:58,480 --> 00:08:02,560 Speaker 1: couple's two young girls were spending the weekend with their grandmother, Sheila. 138 00:08:02,920 --> 00:08:06,840 Speaker 1: Mike's mom, Julia Beverly, was working the morning shift from 139 00:08:06,880 --> 00:08:11,920 Speaker 1: home as a remote customer service representative for Hyatt. Beverly 140 00:08:12,080 --> 00:08:14,760 Speaker 1: initially told police she had left Jade alone to do 141 00:08:14,840 --> 00:08:18,360 Speaker 1: holiday shopping at the local Walmart, but upon getting there, 142 00:08:18,520 --> 00:08:21,880 Speaker 1: realized she'd left her wallet at home when she switched 143 00:08:21,880 --> 00:08:24,360 Speaker 1: from her diaper bag to a smaller purse, so she 144 00:08:24,480 --> 00:08:28,800 Speaker 1: returned back home to the house. That's when, according to Beverly, 145 00:08:29,080 --> 00:08:32,720 Speaker 1: she encountered a knife wielding, masked man dressed in black 146 00:08:32,840 --> 00:08:35,360 Speaker 1: who tussled with her at the front door before fleeing 147 00:08:35,520 --> 00:08:39,440 Speaker 1: on foot. She then discovered blood throughout the house and 148 00:08:39,559 --> 00:08:43,800 Speaker 1: Jade in the bathtub before calling nine one one. Just 149 00:08:44,000 --> 00:08:48,240 Speaker 1: five days later, the now former Williamson County State's Attorney, 150 00:08:48,480 --> 00:08:50,640 Speaker 1: Brandon Soonati, held a press conference. 151 00:08:51,880 --> 00:08:56,480 Speaker 2: A few hours ago, I charged Julia Beverley, aged twenty nine, 152 00:08:56,679 --> 00:09:00,760 Speaker 2: of eleven three oh four Songbird Road, Marion with three 153 00:09:00,840 --> 00:09:05,240 Speaker 2: counts a first degree murder. The murder of Jade Murray Beasley, 154 00:09:05,640 --> 00:09:09,120 Speaker 2: an eleven year old girl, and arrest warrant was issued 155 00:09:09,520 --> 00:09:13,120 Speaker 2: and Julia Bevley was arrested within the past hour and 156 00:09:13,240 --> 00:09:15,960 Speaker 2: is being processed and held with the Williamson County Jail. 157 00:09:16,440 --> 00:09:19,000 Speaker 2: She's being held on a two million dollar bond. 158 00:09:19,640 --> 00:09:22,720 Speaker 1: Zanati would then hold up a photo of the victim, 159 00:09:22,840 --> 00:09:26,760 Speaker 1: Jade Beasley. It shows an adorable young girl with bob 160 00:09:26,840 --> 00:09:30,840 Speaker 1: strawberry blonde hair accented with pink streaks and a pink bow. 161 00:09:31,559 --> 00:09:35,160 Speaker 1: She's smiling broadly from behind pink rimmed glasses, dressed in 162 00:09:35,240 --> 00:09:39,040 Speaker 1: even more bright pink. The cropped photo and the larger 163 00:09:39,080 --> 00:09:42,120 Speaker 1: full body original of the small, pink clad girl would 164 00:09:42,160 --> 00:09:44,960 Speaker 1: be utilized by the media throughout the duration of the 165 00:09:44,960 --> 00:09:46,560 Speaker 1: investigation and trial. 166 00:09:46,920 --> 00:09:50,840 Speaker 2: I recently was given a copy of the booking photo, 167 00:09:51,040 --> 00:09:54,360 Speaker 2: and I have those here for anyone that may want. 168 00:09:54,520 --> 00:09:54,880 Speaker 6: Then. 169 00:09:55,040 --> 00:09:59,520 Speaker 1: In stark contrast, Julia Beverly appears haggard and drained in 170 00:09:59,520 --> 00:10:03,439 Speaker 1: her booking photo, her dark clothing and dark hair disheveled. 171 00:10:03,800 --> 00:10:07,560 Speaker 1: The grainy shot drab enough to almost appear black and white. 172 00:10:08,160 --> 00:10:12,959 Speaker 2: These first degree murder charges carry with impossible penalties of 173 00:10:13,000 --> 00:10:16,199 Speaker 2: twenty to sixty years in the Department of Corrections and 174 00:10:16,280 --> 00:10:19,840 Speaker 2: if determined, extended term eligible up to one hundred and 175 00:10:19,840 --> 00:10:20,679 Speaker 2: twenty years. 176 00:10:21,040 --> 00:10:24,800 Speaker 1: Jade Beasley's murder and Julia Beverly's arrest were both announced 177 00:10:24,840 --> 00:10:28,640 Speaker 1: during that same press conference, but while no motive was given, 178 00:10:29,040 --> 00:10:30,080 Speaker 1: Zanati added this. 179 00:10:30,760 --> 00:10:34,760 Speaker 2: When the incident occurred, the suspect gave law enforcement an 180 00:10:34,760 --> 00:10:41,079 Speaker 2: initial report that the unidentified mail ran from the residence 181 00:10:41,160 --> 00:10:44,240 Speaker 2: upon her arriving home. She said that she left the 182 00:10:44,280 --> 00:10:47,520 Speaker 2: residence with Jade alone in the home for a short 183 00:10:47,520 --> 00:10:52,640 Speaker 2: time and return home to find an unidentified male fleeing. 184 00:10:53,559 --> 00:10:56,760 Speaker 2: The investigation has proven this story to be false. 185 00:11:00,400 --> 00:11:06,720 Speaker 1: Murder on Songbird Road will continue after the break. Now 186 00:11:07,080 --> 00:11:08,960 Speaker 1: back to Murder on Songbird Road. 187 00:11:10,640 --> 00:11:13,320 Speaker 8: What they had told us at the press conference was 188 00:11:13,600 --> 00:11:16,560 Speaker 8: that they had arrested Julie Beverly. They charged her with 189 00:11:16,679 --> 00:11:20,200 Speaker 8: murder and had said that she had told them a 190 00:11:20,280 --> 00:11:24,600 Speaker 8: story about a suspect that left the home and that 191 00:11:24,600 --> 00:11:27,440 Speaker 8: that was later proven to be false. That was the 192 00:11:27,480 --> 00:11:31,240 Speaker 8: first official word of that case. But they never explained 193 00:11:31,679 --> 00:11:35,440 Speaker 8: how that happened. I should have asked, you know, looking 194 00:11:35,480 --> 00:11:37,240 Speaker 8: back at it now in hindsight. 195 00:11:37,080 --> 00:11:40,319 Speaker 1: That's Danny Vaie, who was a reporter and anchor at 196 00:11:40,360 --> 00:11:44,760 Speaker 1: local news station WSIL News three when the Beverly story broke. 197 00:11:45,120 --> 00:11:47,760 Speaker 8: Every town has its crime. Marian's no different than any 198 00:11:47,800 --> 00:11:52,359 Speaker 8: other towns. Marion gets a lot of theft, calls, burglaries. 199 00:11:52,880 --> 00:11:55,640 Speaker 8: Very few times that we've covered shootings in Marion, but 200 00:11:55,679 --> 00:11:57,880 Speaker 8: there have been. Not to say that there haven't been, 201 00:11:58,080 --> 00:12:02,480 Speaker 8: but to have a murderer screwsom is. Jade Beasley's doesn't 202 00:12:02,520 --> 00:12:05,880 Speaker 8: happen very often down here, not at all. It's very rare. 203 00:12:06,520 --> 00:12:09,239 Speaker 1: And by down here, Vaya means south. 204 00:12:09,720 --> 00:12:13,080 Speaker 8: Marion is So if you know Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, 205 00:12:13,360 --> 00:12:17,359 Speaker 8: it's about thirty minutes east of Carbondale on Route thirteen. 206 00:12:17,480 --> 00:12:20,720 Speaker 8: If you're more familiar with highways, it cuts right by 207 00:12:20,920 --> 00:12:22,880 Speaker 8: in their stay fifty seven, it cuts through Marion. 208 00:12:23,360 --> 00:12:25,200 Speaker 1: And if you don't know any of the above, know 209 00:12:25,280 --> 00:12:29,560 Speaker 1: that Marion, Illinois is in extremely southern Illinois, closer to 210 00:12:29,559 --> 00:12:34,520 Speaker 1: Missouri than Chicago. Vye's recollection of Jade Beasley's murder remains 211 00:12:34,559 --> 00:12:37,640 Speaker 1: extremely clear. Three years later, on. 212 00:12:37,600 --> 00:12:41,160 Speaker 8: December fifth, twenty twenty, it was a Saturday. I was 213 00:12:41,200 --> 00:12:45,400 Speaker 8: still the morning anchor. My shift was over by around 214 00:12:45,720 --> 00:12:49,959 Speaker 8: ten eleven o'clock am, so I went home, and I'm 215 00:12:50,000 --> 00:12:52,640 Speaker 8: pure in rumblings that there's something happening in Marion. Joe 216 00:12:52,679 --> 00:12:54,559 Speaker 8: Rohanne was actually the first one to go over there. 217 00:12:54,559 --> 00:12:58,120 Speaker 8: He's our protog reporter. He actually shot the initial footage 218 00:12:58,320 --> 00:13:01,200 Speaker 8: of the police response there and he was just telling us, 219 00:13:01,280 --> 00:13:03,240 Speaker 8: you know, that there was a big presence. He went 220 00:13:03,280 --> 00:13:06,719 Speaker 8: to go eventually here back on the scanner that they 221 00:13:06,720 --> 00:13:09,920 Speaker 8: were calling a METAVAC helicopter to the home. But then 222 00:13:10,160 --> 00:13:13,800 Speaker 8: later on we find out that the call was rescinded, 223 00:13:13,840 --> 00:13:18,120 Speaker 8: that the aravact was canceled. Immediately, we were thinking someone died, 224 00:13:18,640 --> 00:13:20,840 Speaker 8: but we just don't know who. We just know that 225 00:13:20,840 --> 00:13:24,600 Speaker 8: there's a lot of police. There's so much activity going on, 226 00:13:24,720 --> 00:13:28,079 Speaker 8: like this is a huge response. I mean, it was insane. 227 00:13:28,080 --> 00:13:30,640 Speaker 8: The number of cars were there. I think there were five, 228 00:13:30,720 --> 00:13:32,679 Speaker 8: but it seemed like there were more. Even in the 229 00:13:32,760 --> 00:13:35,240 Speaker 8: days after when we followed up, they were still there. 230 00:13:35,800 --> 00:13:38,480 Speaker 8: But yeah, we first heard about it on Saturday. We 231 00:13:38,880 --> 00:13:43,440 Speaker 8: didn't get much information officially, and we were slowly hearing 232 00:13:43,640 --> 00:13:46,840 Speaker 8: little details on what may have happened. We were hearing 233 00:13:46,880 --> 00:13:48,760 Speaker 8: that it may have been a little girl. We were 234 00:13:48,800 --> 00:13:52,280 Speaker 8: hearing that it was the girl's mother. Then we're hearing 235 00:13:52,360 --> 00:13:54,040 Speaker 8: it wasn't the mother, it was a stepmother. 236 00:13:54,400 --> 00:13:58,360 Speaker 1: The lack of information, especially during the isolation of the pandemic, 237 00:13:58,679 --> 00:14:01,320 Speaker 1: led to immediate spec and concern. 238 00:14:02,160 --> 00:14:05,720 Speaker 8: People were calling us for five days asking what was 239 00:14:05,760 --> 00:14:09,480 Speaker 8: going on. People were wondering if the person was still 240 00:14:09,520 --> 00:14:12,199 Speaker 8: out there. There were so many questions. People were wondering 241 00:14:12,240 --> 00:14:15,080 Speaker 8: if there was a serial killer out there because there 242 00:14:15,160 --> 00:14:18,400 Speaker 8: was no hint of we need to find a suspect. 243 00:14:18,600 --> 00:14:21,920 Speaker 8: All we heard was that they were looking for surveillance 244 00:14:22,000 --> 00:14:24,800 Speaker 8: video of the area and that was it. They never 245 00:14:24,880 --> 00:14:28,120 Speaker 8: gave out a suspect description. They never said whether the 246 00:14:28,160 --> 00:14:30,360 Speaker 8: suspect was in custody or not. They never said if 247 00:14:30,400 --> 00:14:34,280 Speaker 8: there was a person of interest until the days leading 248 00:14:34,360 --> 00:14:38,000 Speaker 8: up to the press conference. We didn't hear official word 249 00:14:38,120 --> 00:14:43,400 Speaker 8: until Wednesday, So literally five days later after the fact, 250 00:14:43,640 --> 00:14:46,640 Speaker 8: when something's happening the press conference, that was the first 251 00:14:46,640 --> 00:14:49,080 Speaker 8: official word of that case. And I was actually the 252 00:14:49,120 --> 00:14:49,960 Speaker 8: one filming that. 253 00:14:50,680 --> 00:14:52,960 Speaker 1: Vye would go on to cover the case and the 254 00:14:53,000 --> 00:14:56,000 Speaker 1: trial reporting that would put him and the media in 255 00:14:56,040 --> 00:14:59,880 Speaker 1: general at odds with Renee high Tower. Beverly's mother, since 256 00:15:00,080 --> 00:15:02,160 Speaker 1: the day of the murder, her belief in her daughter's 257 00:15:02,160 --> 00:15:06,400 Speaker 1: innocence has not wavered. The daughter, who close friends and family, 258 00:15:06,520 --> 00:15:07,400 Speaker 1: called Julie. 259 00:15:09,200 --> 00:15:10,480 Speaker 6: That morning, I was at work. 260 00:15:11,080 --> 00:15:13,600 Speaker 1: Renee was working at one of the gas stations she manages. 261 00:15:14,360 --> 00:15:17,240 Speaker 6: I remember the ambulances going by my work because I 262 00:15:17,360 --> 00:15:19,400 Speaker 6: was in my Marion store. 263 00:15:20,000 --> 00:15:20,760 Speaker 1: Nothing clicked. 264 00:15:21,040 --> 00:15:23,720 Speaker 6: Nothing was like, Oh my god, something's happened to one 265 00:15:23,760 --> 00:15:25,680 Speaker 6: of my children, you know, or one of my grandchildren. 266 00:15:25,840 --> 00:15:28,280 Speaker 6: Nothing clicked. I was just watching because they were going 267 00:15:28,320 --> 00:15:31,600 Speaker 6: like an extra speed. To my coworker, I was like, 268 00:15:31,640 --> 00:15:33,960 Speaker 6: oh my god, something really bad must to happen. Probably 269 00:15:34,000 --> 00:15:37,240 Speaker 6: about four thirty PM, my niece called me, who lives 270 00:15:37,240 --> 00:15:41,040 Speaker 6: in Salem, Massachusetts, and said she's seen something on social media. 271 00:15:41,760 --> 00:15:44,320 Speaker 1: Nikki is the daughter of Renee's sister and lived in 272 00:15:44,360 --> 00:15:47,840 Speaker 1: Marion with her family before they moved to Massachusetts after 273 00:15:47,920 --> 00:15:49,120 Speaker 1: she graduated high school. 274 00:15:49,760 --> 00:15:52,960 Speaker 10: I was just kind of doing my normal thing, chasing 275 00:15:53,000 --> 00:15:55,000 Speaker 10: the kids around, and I had a few moments to 276 00:15:55,120 --> 00:15:58,080 Speaker 10: pop on Facebook. And I still follow the local news 277 00:15:58,120 --> 00:16:00,880 Speaker 10: station Eaton, though are not there for a while. I 278 00:16:00,960 --> 00:16:02,960 Speaker 10: so to like to see what goes on in the community. 279 00:16:03,520 --> 00:16:06,520 Speaker 10: And I thought a new story about murdered in a 280 00:16:06,600 --> 00:16:09,720 Speaker 10: rutle area in Marion, and I was like, oh my god, 281 00:16:09,760 --> 00:16:13,760 Speaker 10: that's so crazy, because nothing will like that happens, at 282 00:16:13,840 --> 00:16:15,960 Speaker 10: least whenever I was growing up there. I clicked on 283 00:16:16,040 --> 00:16:18,960 Speaker 10: the article and the picture just it looked so familiar, 284 00:16:19,000 --> 00:16:22,040 Speaker 10: and I didn't want it to look familiar that it did. 285 00:16:22,720 --> 00:16:25,320 Speaker 10: And when I clicked on the article it said Songbird Road. 286 00:16:26,240 --> 00:16:28,440 Speaker 10: My heart sank because I knew it that's the road 287 00:16:28,440 --> 00:16:30,960 Speaker 10: that Julie lived on. It was the tree in the 288 00:16:30,960 --> 00:16:33,560 Speaker 10: front yard that did it, because it's a very odd 289 00:16:33,600 --> 00:16:38,200 Speaker 10: looking tree. I called my aunt, Julie's mom, and I said, hey, 290 00:16:38,200 --> 00:16:40,000 Speaker 10: if we call to Julie and she was like, no, no. 291 00:16:40,040 --> 00:16:43,800 Speaker 10: I was like, there's there's been a murder on her road, 292 00:16:43,880 --> 00:16:45,200 Speaker 10: and I think it here's her house. 293 00:16:45,520 --> 00:16:49,480 Speaker 6: She sent me a picture and sure enough I recognized 294 00:16:49,520 --> 00:16:50,920 Speaker 6: it to be Julie's house. 295 00:16:51,560 --> 00:16:55,680 Speaker 1: You found out through a niece who lives halfway across 296 00:16:55,720 --> 00:16:59,360 Speaker 1: the country who saw it on social media. Yes, four 297 00:16:59,400 --> 00:17:01,680 Speaker 1: hours later, so I raced out there. 298 00:17:02,280 --> 00:17:04,440 Speaker 6: I was about twelve to fifteen miles away, and I 299 00:17:04,760 --> 00:17:06,920 Speaker 6: think I got there in three minutes until I and 300 00:17:07,040 --> 00:17:10,800 Speaker 6: sure enough there's police vehicles everywhere and it's taped off, 301 00:17:10,840 --> 00:17:13,760 Speaker 6: and I'm in a panic, and there's an officer at 302 00:17:13,840 --> 00:17:16,640 Speaker 6: Kirk and I get out of my car and I'm asking, 303 00:17:16,880 --> 00:17:19,960 Speaker 6: are the kids okay? Ma'am you'll have to go to 304 00:17:20,080 --> 00:17:23,040 Speaker 6: the police station. I said, this is my daughter's house. 305 00:17:23,200 --> 00:17:25,760 Speaker 6: Is she okay? He would not answer, you have to 306 00:17:25,760 --> 00:17:28,639 Speaker 6: go a police sestion. In the meantime, I'm calling Julie, 307 00:17:28,920 --> 00:17:34,280 Speaker 6: no answer. I'm calling Mike, no answer. I'm calling Sheila Jade, 308 00:17:34,280 --> 00:17:37,199 Speaker 6: and nobody's answering the phone. So my panic level is 309 00:17:37,280 --> 00:17:39,880 Speaker 6: rising with every time I try to call somebody. 310 00:17:39,680 --> 00:17:42,280 Speaker 1: Because at that point, anybody could have been dead. 311 00:17:42,720 --> 00:17:48,760 Speaker 6: Yes, yes, And I finally get through to Sheila, Mike's mother, 312 00:17:49,040 --> 00:17:50,639 Speaker 6: and I asked, what's going on? 313 00:17:50,760 --> 00:17:52,000 Speaker 1: And is everybody okay? 314 00:17:52,080 --> 00:17:52,240 Speaker 10: You know? 315 00:17:52,280 --> 00:17:55,520 Speaker 6: And I had a many questions and her response to me, 316 00:17:56,520 --> 00:18:00,639 Speaker 6: if you hold on, I'll tell you so breath and 317 00:18:02,160 --> 00:18:07,400 Speaker 6: she said to me, well, Jade's with our heavenly father now, 318 00:18:08,080 --> 00:18:11,639 Speaker 6: and I just lost it, lost it. I was screaming no, 319 00:18:11,960 --> 00:18:15,639 Speaker 6: and I quickly have to gather myself together again and 320 00:18:16,680 --> 00:18:18,840 Speaker 6: ask what happened? And she said, do you want to 321 00:18:18,880 --> 00:18:21,960 Speaker 6: talk to Mike? I said yes, So Mike tells me 322 00:18:22,520 --> 00:18:30,000 Speaker 6: that she committed suicide, and I'm like, what makes an 323 00:18:30,000 --> 00:18:33,560 Speaker 6: eleven year old girl. What was going on? Was she depressed? No, 324 00:18:33,760 --> 00:18:37,000 Speaker 6: not that I know of, but Mom and Kim said 325 00:18:37,080 --> 00:18:38,880 Speaker 6: she might have been feeling a little bit depressed. 326 00:18:39,320 --> 00:18:42,199 Speaker 1: That initial confusion about the cause of death within the 327 00:18:42,240 --> 00:18:45,440 Speaker 1: immediate family and the fact that police only informed one 328 00:18:45,520 --> 00:18:48,080 Speaker 1: side of the family were just two of the issues 329 00:18:48,080 --> 00:18:51,199 Speaker 1: that would define the investigation of Jade's murder and the 330 00:18:51,280 --> 00:18:55,360 Speaker 1: case against Julia Beverly, as would what Renee recalls as 331 00:18:55,400 --> 00:18:59,720 Speaker 1: a notable disconnect between Mike and his fiance. I'm like, 332 00:19:00,200 --> 00:19:01,040 Speaker 1: where's Julie? 333 00:19:01,920 --> 00:19:02,440 Speaker 6: I don't know. 334 00:19:02,800 --> 00:19:05,520 Speaker 1: Have you talked to her? No, he hasn't talked to her. 335 00:19:05,680 --> 00:19:11,080 Speaker 1: He hasn't spoken to the woman he lives with, who 336 00:19:11,160 --> 00:19:17,399 Speaker 1: is the mother of two of his children. Yes, yeah, 337 00:19:17,440 --> 00:19:19,320 Speaker 1: Why how did he explain that. 338 00:19:22,400 --> 00:19:25,480 Speaker 6: He didn't He just said he hadn't talked to her. Now, 339 00:19:25,520 --> 00:19:28,720 Speaker 6: I'm sure by this time they had taken Julie's phone, 340 00:19:28,760 --> 00:19:32,080 Speaker 6: so she couldn't call or talk to anyone. But if 341 00:19:32,119 --> 00:19:34,400 Speaker 6: you were down in the police station like her, I mean, 342 00:19:34,480 --> 00:19:35,560 Speaker 6: did you ask about her? 343 00:19:35,720 --> 00:19:35,920 Speaker 9: No? 344 00:19:36,760 --> 00:19:37,640 Speaker 1: I think I don't know. 345 00:19:38,400 --> 00:19:41,240 Speaker 6: But he didn't even know where she was, didn't know 346 00:19:41,280 --> 00:19:44,520 Speaker 6: where she was, so I figured, well, this officer was 347 00:19:44,560 --> 00:19:46,360 Speaker 6: telling me to go down to the police station. So 348 00:19:46,520 --> 00:19:48,720 Speaker 6: I go down to the Sheriff's. 349 00:19:48,359 --> 00:19:52,000 Speaker 1: Office, which is indeed where Julia was having agreed to 350 00:19:52,040 --> 00:19:55,160 Speaker 1: be questioned, initially waiving her right to an attorney. 351 00:19:55,680 --> 00:19:58,639 Speaker 6: I was asking if my daughter was there, and he 352 00:19:58,680 --> 00:20:00,560 Speaker 6: asked who I was, and he said, we'll be down 353 00:20:00,560 --> 00:20:06,120 Speaker 6: in a minute, and police officer Carl Gustantine came down 354 00:20:06,119 --> 00:20:06,679 Speaker 6: and talked to me. 355 00:20:07,200 --> 00:20:11,120 Speaker 1: Remember that name, Carl Gustantine will play a pivotal role 356 00:20:11,200 --> 00:20:15,520 Speaker 1: in Renee's issues with the investigation and Julia's arrest. At 357 00:20:15,560 --> 00:20:17,520 Speaker 1: this point, what time is it? 358 00:20:17,680 --> 00:20:22,040 Speaker 6: Probably around five thirty pm going on six. He come 359 00:20:22,119 --> 00:20:24,200 Speaker 6: down and he said, we've got a lot of questions 360 00:20:24,240 --> 00:20:26,760 Speaker 6: that we're talking to her. It's going to be a while. 361 00:20:26,840 --> 00:20:29,280 Speaker 6: And I said, well, I'm not going anywhere. As he's 362 00:20:29,320 --> 00:20:32,320 Speaker 6: going back upstairs. I said, what would make an eleven 363 00:20:32,400 --> 00:20:35,560 Speaker 6: year old commit suicide? And he looked at me strange 364 00:20:35,640 --> 00:20:37,760 Speaker 6: and he said, who told you that? And I said 365 00:20:37,800 --> 00:20:40,399 Speaker 6: her boyfriend, Mike, and he just said oh, and he 366 00:20:40,800 --> 00:20:45,640 Speaker 6: went on and finished questioning my daughter. It was crazy. 367 00:20:46,200 --> 00:20:49,000 Speaker 1: It was crazy. So I'm talking to. 368 00:20:48,960 --> 00:20:52,560 Speaker 6: My oldest son, Michael, and he said, why do they 369 00:20:52,560 --> 00:20:55,479 Speaker 6: still have her in there. It's been hours, and I 370 00:20:55,520 --> 00:20:56,879 Speaker 6: was like, I don't know. I guess they got a 371 00:20:56,920 --> 00:20:59,280 Speaker 6: lot of things to talk, you know, trying to figure 372 00:20:59,280 --> 00:21:03,000 Speaker 6: this out. He's like, where's Mike. I said, I think 373 00:21:03,000 --> 00:21:06,119 Speaker 6: he's at home. He's like, Mom, they're looking at her, 374 00:21:06,119 --> 00:21:07,199 Speaker 6: at a suspect. 375 00:21:07,480 --> 00:21:15,359 Speaker 1: Julie Willingly submitted for questioning yes, without representation, because it 376 00:21:15,400 --> 00:21:18,520 Speaker 1: didn't occur to her that she was a suspect. 377 00:21:18,800 --> 00:21:23,439 Speaker 6: Correct now. Julia had told me later on that she 378 00:21:23,560 --> 00:21:26,359 Speaker 6: could feel a change in the wind within ten to 379 00:21:26,400 --> 00:21:28,320 Speaker 6: fifteen minutes of being there. But then she's trying to 380 00:21:28,320 --> 00:21:31,080 Speaker 6: brush it off. They're doing their job. They have to 381 00:21:31,800 --> 00:21:34,800 Speaker 6: exclude family members before they fine, you know. So this 382 00:21:34,840 --> 00:21:36,639 Speaker 6: is how she's playing it in her mind. This is 383 00:21:36,680 --> 00:21:39,000 Speaker 6: their job, they have to do this. I'm reading too 384 00:21:39,080 --> 00:21:41,879 Speaker 6: much into it, But she did say she could feel 385 00:21:41,920 --> 00:21:44,320 Speaker 6: a change within ten minutes of them being there. 386 00:21:44,480 --> 00:21:47,639 Speaker 1: Of the police being at her home, at the crime scene. 387 00:21:47,720 --> 00:21:48,639 Speaker 2: Yes, yes. 388 00:21:50,680 --> 00:21:53,040 Speaker 1: Much of this case seems to hinge on the fact. 389 00:21:53,200 --> 00:21:56,640 Speaker 1: Beverly initially told police she had made it to Walmart 390 00:21:56,680 --> 00:22:00,320 Speaker 1: before realizing she'd left her wallet at home, but surveillancege 391 00:22:00,400 --> 00:22:04,240 Speaker 1: established she had not completed that journey here again is 392 00:22:04,280 --> 00:22:05,000 Speaker 1: Whitney Nicole. 393 00:22:05,680 --> 00:22:09,520 Speaker 9: They arrested her so fast, you know, and so I'm like, 394 00:22:09,720 --> 00:22:12,800 Speaker 9: she must have been drenched in blood and had all 395 00:22:12,840 --> 00:22:16,399 Speaker 9: this evidence, but come to find out, there was no 396 00:22:16,520 --> 00:22:21,040 Speaker 9: bloody clothing of hers found. There was no blood found 397 00:22:21,080 --> 00:22:25,080 Speaker 9: in her bedroom, or in her bathroom or even in 398 00:22:25,160 --> 00:22:28,600 Speaker 9: their drain. So if she even took a shower, where 399 00:22:28,600 --> 00:22:31,439 Speaker 9: did that blullod go? Where did her bloody clothes go? 400 00:22:31,960 --> 00:22:33,000 Speaker 9: Where did weapon go? 401 00:22:33,880 --> 00:22:34,080 Speaker 6: No? 402 00:22:34,600 --> 00:22:38,479 Speaker 9: Like witnesses, no, nothing, And it's supposed to be beyond 403 00:22:38,600 --> 00:22:42,480 Speaker 9: a reasonable doubt, you know, And there is nothing to 404 00:22:42,520 --> 00:22:45,840 Speaker 9: even prove she should have even been arrested. 405 00:22:46,320 --> 00:22:49,800 Speaker 1: Whitney Nicole also brings up something that makes those photos 406 00:22:49,800 --> 00:22:52,440 Speaker 1: from the press conference with the Williamson County States Attorney 407 00:22:52,920 --> 00:22:53,920 Speaker 1: more interesting. 408 00:22:54,560 --> 00:22:59,439 Speaker 13: Oh, Julie's side, Juliet was shorter than Jade, and she 409 00:22:59,600 --> 00:23:00,359 Speaker 13: waited like. 410 00:23:00,600 --> 00:23:03,680 Speaker 9: Jade was one hundred and thirty pounds in five foot three. 411 00:23:04,000 --> 00:23:07,720 Speaker 9: Julia was four to eight in one hundred and fifteen pounds. 412 00:23:07,760 --> 00:23:12,000 Speaker 1: A quick clarification, Beverly is actually four foot eleven. 413 00:23:12,800 --> 00:23:16,600 Speaker 9: Julia never even been in a fight before, and Anna 414 00:23:16,760 --> 00:23:20,680 Speaker 9: was actually said by the bio mother of Jade that. 415 00:23:20,920 --> 00:23:23,439 Speaker 1: She had taught Jade, so with the fence. 416 00:23:23,840 --> 00:23:27,480 Speaker 9: So in that case, like you know, Julia never being 417 00:23:27,520 --> 00:23:31,119 Speaker 9: in a fight, why it wasn't there more like the 418 00:23:31,200 --> 00:23:32,360 Speaker 9: fence of wounds on her? 419 00:23:32,480 --> 00:23:35,960 Speaker 1: You know when I mean? The photo than Williamson County 420 00:23:35,960 --> 00:23:39,080 Speaker 1: State's Attorney Brandon Sonati released to the public of eleven 421 00:23:39,160 --> 00:23:42,879 Speaker 1: year old Jade Beasley was actually over a year old, 422 00:23:43,200 --> 00:23:47,439 Speaker 1: depicting Jade before a very substantial growth spurt, giving the 423 00:23:47,480 --> 00:23:51,000 Speaker 1: false impression that Jade was smaller than Julia Beverly at 424 00:23:51,040 --> 00:23:51,920 Speaker 1: the time of her death. 425 00:23:57,240 --> 00:23:59,159 Speaker 4: We begin tonight with breaking news. 426 00:23:59,280 --> 00:24:02,399 Speaker 5: A Williamson County jury has reached a verdict in the 427 00:24:02,520 --> 00:24:03,960 Speaker 5: Julia Beverly trial. 428 00:24:04,200 --> 00:24:06,720 Speaker 1: Two years later. It would take a jury just a 429 00:24:06,720 --> 00:24:09,280 Speaker 1: little over one and a half hours of deliberation to 430 00:24:09,359 --> 00:24:10,520 Speaker 1: deliver a verdict. 431 00:24:10,680 --> 00:24:14,360 Speaker 10: She was found guilty of murdering eleven year old Jade Beasley. 432 00:24:14,480 --> 00:24:18,399 Speaker 1: But many, including the prosecution and the victim's family, believe 433 00:24:18,600 --> 00:24:22,639 Speaker 1: justice was served. After the verdict, the special prosecutor, Jennifer 434 00:24:22,720 --> 00:24:24,360 Speaker 1: Mudge spoke to local news. 435 00:24:24,720 --> 00:24:27,879 Speaker 11: Any child murder case means a lot, and there's a 436 00:24:27,880 --> 00:24:31,400 Speaker 11: lot of stake and a lot of emotions involved, So 437 00:24:32,160 --> 00:24:35,240 Speaker 11: you have to in a sense taken a little bit personally, 438 00:24:35,400 --> 00:24:36,080 Speaker 11: but we did our. 439 00:24:36,080 --> 00:24:39,920 Speaker 1: Jobs, as did Jade Beasley's mother, Jessica Bradley. 440 00:24:40,480 --> 00:24:44,000 Speaker 4: Being able to be here for justice to be served 441 00:24:44,000 --> 00:24:44,800 Speaker 4: to her was. 442 00:24:46,040 --> 00:24:50,480 Speaker 1: A good ending. The concepts of justice and injustice are 443 00:24:50,520 --> 00:24:53,679 Speaker 1: intertwined with crime and punishment, but in the case of 444 00:24:53,720 --> 00:24:57,320 Speaker 1: this murder, they played heavily into the divisive aftermath that 445 00:24:57,440 --> 00:25:00,359 Speaker 1: quickly seemed to split the city of Marion, and as 446 00:25:00,440 --> 00:25:04,560 Speaker 1: social media activity. According to Beverly's cousin Nikki, so did 447 00:25:04,640 --> 00:25:06,280 Speaker 1: race absolutely. 448 00:25:06,400 --> 00:25:10,640 Speaker 10: I remember within hours of her being arrested, there were 449 00:25:10,680 --> 00:25:13,600 Speaker 10: just people that had taken pictures from her Facebook profile 450 00:25:13,600 --> 00:25:17,199 Speaker 10: because she had attended a Black Lives Matter rally with 451 00:25:17,400 --> 00:25:20,080 Speaker 10: Mike a few weeks earlier, and it was in the 452 00:25:20,119 --> 00:25:23,320 Speaker 10: Marian town square, and they had a picture of her 453 00:25:23,600 --> 00:25:25,800 Speaker 10: holding up a sign that said no Jessice, no keys, 454 00:25:26,280 --> 00:25:30,280 Speaker 10: and they were using that picture to like walk her 455 00:25:30,640 --> 00:25:33,960 Speaker 10: and then everybody was dashing the whole Black Lives Matters movement. 456 00:25:35,440 --> 00:25:37,600 Speaker 10: But they did proceed to cut Mike out of the 457 00:25:37,680 --> 00:25:42,080 Speaker 10: picture because Houston and directly behind her year's two pictures 458 00:25:42,119 --> 00:25:46,280 Speaker 10: and her race and her social stances against her. I 459 00:25:46,320 --> 00:25:49,520 Speaker 10: do feel that maybe that could have also impacted the 460 00:25:50,000 --> 00:25:52,879 Speaker 10: police from the get go because that stuff was in 461 00:25:52,960 --> 00:25:53,680 Speaker 10: our house as well. 462 00:25:53,840 --> 00:25:57,200 Speaker 1: I think she still had her sign from that so 463 00:25:57,480 --> 00:26:00,840 Speaker 1: when responding officers came to that house, they would have 464 00:26:00,880 --> 00:26:04,400 Speaker 1: seen black Lives Matter signage, right. 465 00:26:04,560 --> 00:26:06,320 Speaker 10: Yes, I think the poster board that she had at 466 00:26:06,320 --> 00:26:07,440 Speaker 10: the rally, I'm pretty sure. 467 00:26:07,359 --> 00:26:09,680 Speaker 1: It was in her living room. No Justice, No Peace. 468 00:26:10,400 --> 00:26:13,240 Speaker 1: Her booking photo wasn't the only thing that appeared black 469 00:26:13,280 --> 00:26:17,959 Speaker 1: and white. Julia Beverly is mixed race. For context, according 470 00:26:18,000 --> 00:26:21,760 Speaker 1: to the most recent census, Marion, Illinois is eighty six 471 00:26:21,840 --> 00:26:25,400 Speaker 1: percent white, while Renee high Tower, Julia's mother, is white. 472 00:26:25,640 --> 00:26:30,320 Speaker 1: Julia and her three brothers are all mixed race. Julia's cousin, Nikki, 473 00:26:30,560 --> 00:26:33,040 Speaker 1: is the daughter of Renee's sister, and when she lived 474 00:26:33,040 --> 00:26:35,600 Speaker 1: in Marion, part of that white eighty six percent. 475 00:26:36,280 --> 00:26:39,560 Speaker 10: That's one of the reasons why we relocated. I don't 476 00:26:39,560 --> 00:26:42,639 Speaker 10: want to bad mouth where I'm from and where we 477 00:26:42,720 --> 00:26:46,639 Speaker 10: grew up, but it is very much a predominantly white community, 478 00:26:47,119 --> 00:26:50,200 Speaker 10: very heavily religious. Some of the things that I have 479 00:26:50,720 --> 00:26:55,040 Speaker 10: growing up are a bit ridiculous. I remember an incident 480 00:26:55,119 --> 00:26:57,960 Speaker 10: in our high school. There was very hard game Patrina 481 00:26:58,080 --> 00:27:00,719 Speaker 10: Bill as a family that had been relocated, and they 482 00:27:00,800 --> 00:27:03,600 Speaker 10: look a black boy who had been relocated to our school, 483 00:27:04,240 --> 00:27:08,400 Speaker 10: and within a day somebody had picked a fight with him. 484 00:27:08,840 --> 00:27:12,520 Speaker 10: They got into a physical altercation in his family. It 485 00:27:12,640 --> 00:27:17,040 Speaker 10: is not a very inclusive community. I would say. 486 00:27:17,400 --> 00:27:20,679 Speaker 1: Whitney Nicole is also part of that white eighty six percent, 487 00:27:20,880 --> 00:27:24,560 Speaker 1: but her children are not. Do you think race played 488 00:27:24,600 --> 00:27:28,600 Speaker 1: a role in the O Yes? And sex why? 489 00:27:29,280 --> 00:27:34,800 Speaker 9: Because I witnessed it firsthand. I the racism. I witnessed 490 00:27:34,800 --> 00:27:39,720 Speaker 9: the sexism. Say, okay, me being a white female and 491 00:27:40,680 --> 00:27:47,480 Speaker 9: it was a spear against a black individual, they probably 492 00:27:47,480 --> 00:27:51,720 Speaker 9: take it my aside. But say if it was between 493 00:27:52,359 --> 00:27:57,960 Speaker 9: me I am another white male individual, take his side 494 00:27:58,480 --> 00:28:02,160 Speaker 9: which I witness and I have experienced. 495 00:28:03,320 --> 00:28:07,399 Speaker 1: Whitney attended every day of Julia Beverley's trial which unfolded 496 00:28:07,480 --> 00:28:12,440 Speaker 1: in Marion. Do you think that Julie was judged by 497 00:28:12,440 --> 00:28:13,960 Speaker 1: a jury of her peers? 498 00:28:14,880 --> 00:28:14,920 Speaker 5: No? 499 00:28:15,160 --> 00:28:17,679 Speaker 13: Oh, now, I think it was set up just the 500 00:28:17,720 --> 00:28:19,800 Speaker 13: way they wanted it to be set up, like it 501 00:28:19,840 --> 00:28:20,480 Speaker 13: was all. 502 00:28:20,280 --> 00:28:24,240 Speaker 9: White, all white individuals, there was nobody of color. 503 00:28:24,920 --> 00:28:28,639 Speaker 1: Renee high Tower is extremely aware of racial issues in Marion, 504 00:28:28,840 --> 00:28:32,920 Speaker 1: having raised four mixed children into adulthood. There It's also 505 00:28:33,000 --> 00:28:35,760 Speaker 1: interesting to note that two of Renee's three sons are 506 00:28:35,880 --> 00:28:40,280 Speaker 1: active military. In addition, the man Julia considered her stepfather, 507 00:28:40,440 --> 00:28:43,719 Speaker 1: Renee high Tower's ex husband, Angelo high Tower, was a 508 00:28:43,880 --> 00:28:47,760 Speaker 1: sergeant and longtime officer of the Marian Police Department when 509 00:28:47,800 --> 00:28:51,120 Speaker 1: he alleged discrimination due to his race when passed over 510 00:28:51,160 --> 00:28:55,440 Speaker 1: for promotion in twenty fourteen. That's the same police department 511 00:28:55,560 --> 00:28:59,400 Speaker 1: that assisted the Williamson County Sheriff's Office in the investigation 512 00:28:59,600 --> 00:28:59,960 Speaker 1: of Jade. 513 00:29:00,800 --> 00:29:03,120 Speaker 12: Another thing that I thought of before I forget is 514 00:29:03,680 --> 00:29:06,640 Speaker 12: when you're talking about the shitty investigation here, when I 515 00:29:06,760 --> 00:29:09,200 Speaker 12: was trying to get Julie's things out of the house 516 00:29:09,280 --> 00:29:12,040 Speaker 12: that were left after the investigation was over, I called 517 00:29:12,080 --> 00:29:14,840 Speaker 12: Carl Gusantine and I was talking to him. They did 518 00:29:14,880 --> 00:29:17,480 Speaker 12: not even know that Julie owned that house. 519 00:29:17,960 --> 00:29:20,080 Speaker 4: That's how deep that investigation went. 520 00:29:20,520 --> 00:29:22,560 Speaker 12: Because he told me, you're going to have to talk 521 00:29:22,600 --> 00:29:25,120 Speaker 12: to the owner, and I said, I did. 522 00:29:25,200 --> 00:29:26,600 Speaker 6: She's sitting in jail right now. 523 00:29:27,400 --> 00:29:30,680 Speaker 12: And I've got the longest pause from him, and then 524 00:29:30,720 --> 00:29:33,440 Speaker 12: he said, well, they both own it, and I was like, no, 525 00:29:34,000 --> 00:29:37,360 Speaker 12: Julie owns it and he's just sitting there. I'm not 526 00:29:37,360 --> 00:29:37,920 Speaker 12: going to help you. 527 00:29:37,960 --> 00:29:39,800 Speaker 6: Then I'm not going to help you. That's still matter. 528 00:29:39,840 --> 00:29:41,200 Speaker 6: You're gonna have to talk to him. 529 00:29:41,560 --> 00:29:42,440 Speaker 8: And he hung up on me. 530 00:29:45,480 --> 00:29:52,480 Speaker 1: Murder on Songbird Road will return after the break. Now 531 00:29:52,840 --> 00:29:57,440 Speaker 1: back to Murder on Songbird Road. Could Julia Beverly have 532 00:29:57,600 --> 00:30:01,320 Speaker 1: been wrongfully convicted? Well, there does appear to be issues 533 00:30:01,360 --> 00:30:05,120 Speaker 1: of possible injustice worthy of revisiting. There are also facts 534 00:30:05,120 --> 00:30:09,080 Speaker 1: that remain problematic. Why did Beverly initially say she went 535 00:30:09,080 --> 00:30:12,640 Speaker 1: to Walmart when her phone location and surveillance camera footage 536 00:30:12,840 --> 00:30:16,120 Speaker 1: apparently show she turned around well before completing that trip. 537 00:30:16,920 --> 00:30:21,000 Speaker 1: Why was there a significant delay according to the prosecution, 538 00:30:21,360 --> 00:30:25,400 Speaker 1: thirty one minutes between the time Beverly returned home and 539 00:30:25,440 --> 00:30:29,000 Speaker 1: found Jade before she called nine to one one. It 540 00:30:29,080 --> 00:30:32,160 Speaker 1: turns out I wasn't the only person with questions or 541 00:30:32,280 --> 00:30:38,520 Speaker 1: getting DMS about Julia Beverly. I just want to ask 542 00:30:38,600 --> 00:30:41,360 Speaker 1: you how this case came on your radar. 543 00:30:41,840 --> 00:30:45,200 Speaker 5: Yeah, it's a funny story really because it was Renee 544 00:30:45,480 --> 00:30:48,720 Speaker 5: and Renee I think had run into I don't necessarily 545 00:30:48,720 --> 00:30:50,920 Speaker 5: know if she listened to My Gaycy season or she 546 00:30:51,040 --> 00:30:52,960 Speaker 5: was listening to My Garcia season. 547 00:30:53,400 --> 00:30:57,800 Speaker 1: That's Bob Mada, former criminal defense attorney turned prolific podcaster, 548 00:30:58,320 --> 00:31:00,160 Speaker 1: best known for his work as the host of the 549 00:31:00,200 --> 00:31:04,400 Speaker 1: podcast Defense Diaries, where, along with his wife Alison, also 550 00:31:04,520 --> 00:31:07,680 Speaker 1: a defense attorney, he discussed his high profile criminal cases 551 00:31:07,920 --> 00:31:10,880 Speaker 1: and the legal system from the perspective of his two 552 00:31:10,880 --> 00:31:12,280 Speaker 1: decades practicing law. 553 00:31:12,720 --> 00:31:14,760 Speaker 5: I wouldn't be doing this if I hadn't done that 554 00:31:15,280 --> 00:31:17,520 Speaker 5: as miserable as I was at the end of my 555 00:31:17,680 --> 00:31:21,520 Speaker 5: legal career, because defense loitering is a gut wrenching profession. 556 00:31:22,000 --> 00:31:25,400 Speaker 5: You're fighting the power of the government like non stop, 557 00:31:25,720 --> 00:31:31,040 Speaker 5: never ending, and you're constantly losing. It's disheartening in a 558 00:31:31,160 --> 00:31:35,400 Speaker 5: really fundamental way because you go into that profession wanting 559 00:31:35,440 --> 00:31:38,800 Speaker 5: to really protect the rights of all of us, which 560 00:31:38,840 --> 00:31:40,560 Speaker 5: is really what defense attorneys do. 561 00:31:40,960 --> 00:31:43,440 Speaker 1: Turns out, Mata and I were drawn into the Beverly 562 00:31:43,520 --> 00:31:45,640 Speaker 1: case in a fairly similar fashion. 563 00:31:45,760 --> 00:31:49,920 Speaker 5: Renee reached out to me via email. Simultaneous to that, 564 00:31:50,320 --> 00:31:53,080 Speaker 5: Whitney Nichole was hitting me up in my DMS. 565 00:31:53,480 --> 00:31:55,360 Speaker 4: They were both sending me the same things. 566 00:31:55,640 --> 00:31:59,760 Speaker 1: Mara and I had initially connected in February of twenty three. 567 00:31:59,440 --> 00:32:01,720 Speaker 5: Because you would and I were talking about Christopher Vaughan. 568 00:32:01,880 --> 00:32:04,920 Speaker 5: So you and I had this thing going on completely 569 00:32:04,960 --> 00:32:06,160 Speaker 5: sevened and apart. 570 00:32:06,200 --> 00:32:09,320 Speaker 1: His active community of defense diary listeners wanted his take 571 00:32:09,320 --> 00:32:12,440 Speaker 1: on my take of Christopher Vaughn, who was sentenced in 572 00:32:12,520 --> 00:32:15,920 Speaker 1: twenty twelve to four consecutive life sentences for the two 573 00:32:15,920 --> 00:32:19,000 Speaker 1: thousand and seven shooting deaths of his wife and three children. 574 00:32:19,680 --> 00:32:22,560 Speaker 1: The case was the focus of the Murder in Illinois podcast, 575 00:32:22,880 --> 00:32:25,760 Speaker 1: which was released in twenty twenty one. You hit me 576 00:32:25,840 --> 00:32:28,120 Speaker 1: up on Twitter, and I thought, oh, good God, here 577 00:32:28,160 --> 00:32:31,960 Speaker 1: comes somebody wanting to attack me again for my support 578 00:32:32,000 --> 00:32:35,840 Speaker 1: of Vaughn. And then it very quickly became obvious that 579 00:32:35,880 --> 00:32:40,280 Speaker 1: you were intrigued. And that's when I just sent you everything, 580 00:32:40,440 --> 00:32:44,320 Speaker 1: the trial transcripts and just said, come on, you know, 581 00:32:45,080 --> 00:32:46,200 Speaker 1: let me know what you think. 582 00:32:46,320 --> 00:32:49,680 Speaker 5: That gave me the answer in like the parallels between 583 00:32:50,160 --> 00:32:52,720 Speaker 5: Julie's case and Christopher's case. 584 00:32:52,560 --> 00:32:55,800 Speaker 4: In terms of like most people that kill. 585 00:32:56,360 --> 00:32:59,240 Speaker 1: Have a reason, a motive, something. 586 00:32:58,960 --> 00:33:01,680 Speaker 4: There's always a moment, and it doesn't exist here. 587 00:33:02,040 --> 00:33:04,880 Speaker 1: You know, the outreach from Witne Nicole when she started 588 00:33:04,880 --> 00:33:08,920 Speaker 1: blowing up my DMS started over a year ago. I 589 00:33:08,960 --> 00:33:12,160 Speaker 1: didn't know what to think, but there was a very 590 00:33:12,240 --> 00:33:18,200 Speaker 1: real thread of wrongful conviction red flags right the tunnel vision, 591 00:33:18,760 --> 00:33:23,960 Speaker 1: the trial by media, the confirmation bias, and in this 592 00:33:24,040 --> 00:33:28,880 Speaker 1: case racism. Racism for sure, but while race didn't play 593 00:33:28,880 --> 00:33:31,120 Speaker 1: a role in the bond case. In addition to the 594 00:33:31,160 --> 00:33:34,680 Speaker 1: tragic loss of young life, there are some other striking 595 00:33:34,720 --> 00:33:37,720 Speaker 1: similarities with the case against Julia Beverly. 596 00:33:39,040 --> 00:33:42,959 Speaker 5: Julie's case, in Christopher's case. The things that they said 597 00:33:43,440 --> 00:33:48,920 Speaker 5: initially that were not truthful are always the hardest things 598 00:33:48,960 --> 00:33:51,680 Speaker 5: to overcome in your own mind, because then when you 599 00:33:51,720 --> 00:33:56,440 Speaker 5: start looking at the facts, especially with Julie's case in particular, 600 00:33:57,320 --> 00:33:59,560 Speaker 5: they just don't add up. 601 00:34:00,680 --> 00:34:04,800 Speaker 1: Murder in Illinois remains the most polarizing case I've personally covered. 602 00:34:05,360 --> 00:34:09,040 Speaker 1: Questioning the integrity of the investigation and conviction that landed 603 00:34:09,080 --> 00:34:11,840 Speaker 1: Vaughn in prison prompted some people to wish death on 604 00:34:11,920 --> 00:34:15,319 Speaker 1: my children. That wasn't lost on me. When I waged 605 00:34:15,360 --> 00:34:20,520 Speaker 1: looking into Julia Beverly's conviction, I was really wary of 606 00:34:20,600 --> 00:34:24,440 Speaker 1: it because of my experience with taking on a family 607 00:34:24,480 --> 00:34:30,160 Speaker 1: annihilator case in Illinois. So when I realized, oh no, 608 00:34:30,480 --> 00:34:33,760 Speaker 1: it's Illinois again, and that this is a stepmother who 609 00:34:33,840 --> 00:34:39,839 Speaker 1: has been arrested and ultimately convicted of the murder of 610 00:34:40,000 --> 00:34:44,640 Speaker 1: a step daughter. I said, you know who you should call, Bob. 611 00:34:45,400 --> 00:34:48,040 Speaker 1: I didn't know that you were already on Renee's radar. 612 00:34:48,520 --> 00:34:50,840 Speaker 4: Renee hit me up and she's like, oh, I'm talking 613 00:34:50,840 --> 00:34:53,480 Speaker 4: to Lauren. I'm like, what her and I have. 614 00:34:53,480 --> 00:34:56,759 Speaker 5: Been working on Christopher Vaughan and me doing something on 615 00:34:56,840 --> 00:35:00,040 Speaker 5: Vaughn for months, and I can't believe that the this 616 00:35:00,360 --> 00:35:05,040 Speaker 5: never came up, and I just thought things are meant 617 00:35:05,040 --> 00:35:06,000 Speaker 5: to be a little bit. 618 00:35:06,600 --> 00:35:09,520 Speaker 1: Bob and I share a sense of pragmatic skepticism, but 619 00:35:09,800 --> 00:35:13,920 Speaker 1: also recognize the timeliness and responsibility of discovering issues with 620 00:35:13,960 --> 00:35:16,799 Speaker 1: this conviction before Beverly was even sentenced. 621 00:35:17,640 --> 00:35:20,799 Speaker 5: You and I both know the stuff that we typically cover, 622 00:35:21,000 --> 00:35:24,640 Speaker 5: especially you with your wrongful conviction work. I mean defendants 623 00:35:24,640 --> 00:35:28,160 Speaker 5: that are in fifteen twenty years trying to get somebody 624 00:35:28,200 --> 00:35:31,279 Speaker 5: to take a look at their case, knowing just how 625 00:35:31,440 --> 00:35:32,839 Speaker 5: clogged the system is. 626 00:35:33,160 --> 00:35:34,600 Speaker 4: You know, with this case, the. 627 00:35:34,520 --> 00:35:38,279 Speaker 5: More I learned about it, the more I'm scratching my 628 00:35:38,360 --> 00:35:40,399 Speaker 5: head and I'm like, man, something stinks about it. 629 00:35:40,520 --> 00:35:42,480 Speaker 4: Something's not right, you know. 630 00:35:42,760 --> 00:35:48,319 Speaker 1: Then you add the extra layer of the fact that yes, 631 00:35:48,400 --> 00:35:51,759 Speaker 1: she's a stepmother, but she's also a mother. Yes, two 632 00:35:52,000 --> 00:35:56,000 Speaker 1: at the time. Three other children, yes, two of them 633 00:35:56,400 --> 00:36:01,400 Speaker 1: toddler age. Yes, she's been taken away from all of 634 00:36:01,440 --> 00:36:05,120 Speaker 1: her children. And if she's innocent, I can't think of 635 00:36:05,200 --> 00:36:09,240 Speaker 1: a more horrifying thing to experience me either. 636 00:36:09,680 --> 00:36:11,200 Speaker 4: As a father of four. 637 00:36:12,520 --> 00:36:15,600 Speaker 1: Julia Beverly has not seen the two daughters she shares 638 00:36:15,640 --> 00:36:19,800 Speaker 1: with Mike Beasley since Jade Beasley's murder nearly four years ago, 639 00:36:20,280 --> 00:36:23,360 Speaker 1: and there's an additional layer. Within weeks of her arrest, 640 00:36:23,560 --> 00:36:27,080 Speaker 1: Julia Beverly discovered she was pregnant with her third child 641 00:36:27,160 --> 00:36:32,719 Speaker 1: by Beasley, a pregnancy that ended in unfathomable cruelty, especially 642 00:36:32,719 --> 00:36:35,279 Speaker 1: if the conviction of Julia Beverly proves to be a 643 00:36:35,320 --> 00:36:40,040 Speaker 1: wrongful one. But there's another reason driving Beverly's supporters. If 644 00:36:40,120 --> 00:36:43,680 Speaker 1: Julia Beverly is not the person who took Jade Beasley's life, 645 00:36:44,080 --> 00:36:48,880 Speaker 1: there has been no justice for Jade. Here's Beverly's cousin, Nikki. 646 00:36:50,360 --> 00:36:55,399 Speaker 10: It's scary because the person hinted it is still out 647 00:36:55,440 --> 00:36:59,680 Speaker 10: there and nobody seems to care. 648 00:37:00,840 --> 00:37:01,799 Speaker 4: Well, that's not. 649 00:37:01,719 --> 00:37:05,920 Speaker 1: True, we seem to care. What happened to Jade Beasley 650 00:37:06,080 --> 00:37:09,680 Speaker 1: is unfathomable and indefensible, and it is not our intention 651 00:37:09,760 --> 00:37:12,799 Speaker 1: to disparage anyone living or dead, but rather to re 652 00:37:12,920 --> 00:37:17,120 Speaker 1: examine this case with integrity and sensitivity while exploring whether 653 00:37:17,200 --> 00:37:21,920 Speaker 1: Julia Beverley was justly charged, tried, and convicted, or whether 654 00:37:22,040 --> 00:37:25,320 Speaker 1: pertinent facts and later developments that could have been utilized 655 00:37:25,360 --> 00:37:30,440 Speaker 1: in her defense were intentionally overlooked or ignored. On the 656 00:37:30,480 --> 00:37:34,560 Speaker 1: next Murder on Songbird Road, the ripple effect of Jade's 657 00:37:34,600 --> 00:37:36,680 Speaker 1: murder rips apart relationships. 658 00:37:36,920 --> 00:37:39,360 Speaker 12: I said that Jade is no longer with us, and 659 00:37:39,440 --> 00:37:42,359 Speaker 12: you can see him kind of trying to swallow those 660 00:37:42,440 --> 00:37:43,720 Speaker 12: tears and. 661 00:37:43,680 --> 00:37:44,799 Speaker 1: Siblings do you want? 662 00:37:44,840 --> 00:37:49,040 Speaker 8: I'm living with his mom and his two younger sisters 663 00:37:49,200 --> 00:37:51,400 Speaker 8: to you know, get to see his siblings. 664 00:37:52,000 --> 00:37:55,440 Speaker 1: But did the investigation end before it even began? 665 00:37:56,160 --> 00:37:58,680 Speaker 6: Within an hour and a half, they were knock at 666 00:37:58,760 --> 00:38:01,520 Speaker 6: our back door. They said they were there for Julie 667 00:38:01,920 --> 00:38:03,880 Speaker 6: and they had a warrant for her arrests. 668 00:38:05,280 --> 00:38:08,680 Speaker 1: Murder on Songbird Road is a production of iHeart Podcasts. 669 00:38:09,200 --> 00:38:12,840 Speaker 1: Our Executive producers are Taylor Chackoine and Lauren Bright Pacheco. 670 00:38:13,400 --> 00:38:17,760 Speaker 1: Research writing and hosting by Lauren Bright Pacheco. Investigative reporting 671 00:38:17,800 --> 00:38:21,760 Speaker 1: by Bob Matta and Lauren Bright Pacheco. Editing, sound design 672 00:38:21,840 --> 00:38:25,840 Speaker 1: and original music by Evan Tyer and Taylor Chaqoine. Additional 673 00:38:25,920 --> 00:38:31,600 Speaker 1: music by Asher Kurtz. Archival elements courtesy of WSIL News three. 674 00:38:31,920 --> 00:38:35,600 Speaker 1: Please like, subscribe, and leave us a review. Wherever you're listening, 675 00:38:35,920 --> 00:38:38,520 Speaker 1: you can follow me on all platforms at Lauren Bright 676 00:38:38,560 --> 00:38:42,280 Speaker 1: Pacheco and email the show with thought, suggestions or tips 677 00:38:42,320 --> 00:39:03,320 Speaker 1: at Investigating Murder at iHeartMedia dot com. For more iHeart podcasts, 678 00:39:03,400 --> 00:39:07,640 Speaker 1: visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get 679 00:39:07,680 --> 00:39:09,760 Speaker 1: your favorite shows. Thanks for listening.