1 00:00:07,040 --> 00:00:08,200 Speaker 1: Diversion audio. 2 00:00:11,800 --> 00:00:16,400 Speaker 2: A note this episode contains mature content and descriptions of 3 00:00:16,520 --> 00:00:20,319 Speaker 2: violence that may be disturbing for some listeners. Please take 4 00:00:20,360 --> 00:00:37,240 Speaker 2: care in listening. Let's open on a meet cute. It's 5 00:00:37,320 --> 00:00:42,520 Speaker 2: nineteen ninety eight in Austin, Texas. Our setting is romantic 6 00:00:42,840 --> 00:00:47,920 Speaker 2: if grim. Celeste Beard is in her early thirties. She's 7 00:00:48,120 --> 00:00:52,400 Speaker 2: a tall, curvy, blonde mother of two. The type of 8 00:00:52,479 --> 00:00:56,960 Speaker 2: person who, when she turns her attention and charisma straight 9 00:00:57,000 --> 00:01:00,200 Speaker 2: on you, makes you feel like you are the most 10 00:01:00,240 --> 00:01:05,839 Speaker 2: important person to ever exist. The kind of person who 11 00:01:06,080 --> 00:01:09,360 Speaker 2: draws your attention with her energy rather than her beauty. 12 00:01:10,800 --> 00:01:14,960 Speaker 2: But Celeste also suffers from depression, and in fact, she 13 00:01:15,120 --> 00:01:18,880 Speaker 2: has just been admitted to Saint David's Pavilion, a local 14 00:01:18,959 --> 00:01:25,160 Speaker 2: psychiatric hospital in Austin, after attempting suicide. One of her 15 00:01:25,200 --> 00:01:29,959 Speaker 2: twin teenage daughters, Christina, is visiting her there, helping her 16 00:01:30,000 --> 00:01:37,400 Speaker 2: mother through her rehabilitation. In that sterile, whitewashed environment, Christina, 17 00:01:37,520 --> 00:01:43,640 Speaker 2: her daughter, notices another patient, Tracy Tarleton, with lobbed, lank hair. 18 00:01:44,840 --> 00:01:48,360 Speaker 2: Tracy is so dazed from sedatives that she can't put 19 00:01:48,360 --> 00:01:53,080 Speaker 2: on her own shoes. She doesn't have the mesmerizing high 20 00:01:53,080 --> 00:01:58,760 Speaker 2: beam gaze. Rather, Tracy just checked herself into Saint David's 21 00:01:58,800 --> 00:02:02,120 Speaker 2: after an explosive rerg episode in front of the queer 22 00:02:02,120 --> 00:02:07,360 Speaker 2: friendly bookstore she manages. Christina notices Tracy fumbling with her 23 00:02:07,400 --> 00:02:12,920 Speaker 2: shoes no laces, this is a psychiatric hospital, just the shoes. 24 00:02:14,400 --> 00:02:20,080 Speaker 2: When Christina notices, she says, oh, Mom, help her, and 25 00:02:20,120 --> 00:02:24,360 Speaker 2: Celeste does. She be friends Tracy in the hospital, and 26 00:02:24,440 --> 00:02:28,160 Speaker 2: both their spirits lift. After all, one of the best 27 00:02:28,240 --> 00:02:31,560 Speaker 2: ways to stop feeling helpless is to try and help 28 00:02:31,639 --> 00:02:37,320 Speaker 2: someone else. Depending on whom you ask, Celeste and Tracy 29 00:02:37,520 --> 00:02:41,560 Speaker 2: remained fast friends even after their respective discharges from the 30 00:02:41,600 --> 00:02:47,079 Speaker 2: mental hospital. In fact, depending on whom you ask, their 31 00:02:47,160 --> 00:02:52,960 Speaker 2: relationship was much more than friendly. They were in love. Normally, 32 00:02:53,320 --> 00:02:56,959 Speaker 2: this might be a really sweet story about finding love 33 00:02:57,000 --> 00:03:00,720 Speaker 2: in a hopeless place, but because this is a true 34 00:03:00,720 --> 00:03:07,560 Speaker 2: crime story, you know better. It wasn't long before Celeste 35 00:03:07,800 --> 00:03:11,240 Speaker 2: asked Tracy to do something no one, not even a lover, 36 00:03:11,440 --> 00:03:30,320 Speaker 2: should ask. Celeste asked Tracy to kill for her. Welcome 37 00:03:30,360 --> 00:03:34,320 Speaker 2: to the greatest true crime stories ever told. I'm Mary 38 00:03:34,400 --> 00:03:38,000 Speaker 2: Kay McBrayer. I'm a writer of true crime, which means 39 00:03:38,080 --> 00:03:42,880 Speaker 2: I live inside the research wormhole. I'm constantly reading about crime, 40 00:03:43,240 --> 00:03:48,040 Speaker 2: but I'm not necessarily interested in the headline grabbing elements, 41 00:03:48,480 --> 00:03:51,880 Speaker 2: the blood and the gore, all of that. I'm more 42 00:03:51,920 --> 00:03:55,840 Speaker 2: interested in the people behind these stories and what we 43 00:03:55,920 --> 00:04:00,520 Speaker 2: can learn by looking at their experiences. If you want 44 00:04:00,560 --> 00:04:04,279 Speaker 2: evidence of my obsession, you can read my book America's 45 00:04:04,320 --> 00:04:07,880 Speaker 2: First Female serial Killer, Jane Toppin and the Making of 46 00:04:07,920 --> 00:04:13,360 Speaker 2: a Monster. You can also meet me here every week 47 00:04:13,960 --> 00:04:16,440 Speaker 2: when I dig into crimes where a woman is not 48 00:04:16,600 --> 00:04:22,159 Speaker 2: just a victim. She might be the detective, the lawyer, 49 00:04:22,880 --> 00:04:28,640 Speaker 2: the witness, the coroner, the criminal, or any combination of 50 00:04:28,680 --> 00:04:33,960 Speaker 2: those roles. As you probably already know, women can do anything. 51 00:04:36,080 --> 00:04:41,400 Speaker 2: We're calling this episode people Don't Sleep in Bras. It's 52 00:04:41,440 --> 00:04:47,000 Speaker 2: about the murder of Steve Beard, and it's about Steve's 53 00:04:47,000 --> 00:05:32,240 Speaker 2: wife's lover who shot him. I had a roommate my 54 00:05:32,320 --> 00:05:36,599 Speaker 2: freshman year in college, and her favorite TV show was 55 00:05:36,720 --> 00:05:41,760 Speaker 2: Jerry Springer. Back then, I didn't watch TV, but I 56 00:05:41,839 --> 00:05:45,080 Speaker 2: already had a smart mouth. So one day, while the 57 00:05:45,160 --> 00:05:49,880 Speaker 2: live studio audience was chanting Jerry, I said, I don't 58 00:05:49,920 --> 00:05:54,440 Speaker 2: get how you enjoy this. It's so fake. She looked 59 00:05:54,480 --> 00:05:58,159 Speaker 2: at me like I was stupid and said people will 60 00:05:58,200 --> 00:06:02,599 Speaker 2: do crazy shit for people they love. I like to 61 00:06:02,680 --> 00:06:05,680 Speaker 2: think I didn't know that yet because I was too 62 00:06:05,760 --> 00:06:09,480 Speaker 2: young to have recognized the transactional nature of a lot 63 00:06:09,520 --> 00:06:13,520 Speaker 2: of toxic relationships, let alone been on the business end 64 00:06:13,560 --> 00:06:17,320 Speaker 2: of one or many. But that's where we are in 65 00:06:17,360 --> 00:06:21,280 Speaker 2: our story today, on the business end of a transactional 66 00:06:21,440 --> 00:06:27,440 Speaker 2: love affair. The relationship between Celeste Beard, Steve Beard, and 67 00:06:27,520 --> 00:06:33,920 Speaker 2: Tracy Tarleton is an obtuse angle. Basically, Steve and Tracy 68 00:06:34,560 --> 00:06:40,039 Speaker 2: loved Celeste independently, and Celeste required things of them in 69 00:06:40,160 --> 00:06:45,120 Speaker 2: exchange for her love. Their story is about how withholding 70 00:06:45,200 --> 00:06:50,680 Speaker 2: love is not actually love. When someone needs an outlandish 71 00:06:50,760 --> 00:06:54,640 Speaker 2: act in exchange for what passes as normal ass interaction 72 00:06:54,760 --> 00:06:59,159 Speaker 2: with a significant other, that's not love. It's not even 73 00:06:59,279 --> 00:07:05,799 Speaker 2: a relationship. Its manipulation, and that is very dangerous, especially 74 00:07:05,920 --> 00:07:18,280 Speaker 2: if you don't know how to recognize it. So let's 75 00:07:18,320 --> 00:07:24,200 Speaker 2: talk about another important meet cute of this story. We're 76 00:07:24,240 --> 00:07:27,920 Speaker 2: still in Austin, a city of many social classes, from 77 00:07:27,960 --> 00:07:31,480 Speaker 2: the CD to the country club, but we're going back 78 00:07:31,520 --> 00:07:37,920 Speaker 2: in time four years earlier, to nineteen ninety three. Celeste 79 00:07:37,960 --> 00:07:42,360 Speaker 2: Johnson wasn't from Austin, but she was there looking for 80 00:07:42,400 --> 00:07:48,960 Speaker 2: an opportunity. She waited tables at the elite Austin country club. 81 00:07:49,960 --> 00:07:54,400 Speaker 2: Steve Beard, a seventy soter multi millionaire media mogul, was 82 00:07:54,440 --> 00:07:59,120 Speaker 2: a member at the club. Steve pushed his wife Elise 83 00:07:59,200 --> 00:08:02,440 Speaker 2: in her wheelchairs, to their table number ninety nine in 84 00:08:02,480 --> 00:08:06,840 Speaker 2: the dining room. According to one of the most comprehensive 85 00:08:06,920 --> 00:08:11,320 Speaker 2: sources on the story, Susie Spencer's The Fortune Hunter, other 86 00:08:11,360 --> 00:08:15,400 Speaker 2: waitresses didn't want to wait their table. They thought Steve 87 00:08:15,600 --> 00:08:21,400 Speaker 2: was quote gruff, rude and demanding, and stay tuned for 88 00:08:21,480 --> 00:08:24,000 Speaker 2: more from Susie Spencer. At the end of the episode, 89 00:08:24,720 --> 00:08:26,640 Speaker 2: I'm so happy that I got the chance to speak 90 00:08:26,640 --> 00:08:29,760 Speaker 2: with the real expert on the case. She shares some 91 00:08:29,800 --> 00:08:34,240 Speaker 2: really fascinating insights on the whole wild cast of characters. 92 00:08:34,960 --> 00:08:39,040 Speaker 2: But first, back to the case. Celeste saw the media 93 00:08:39,120 --> 00:08:43,560 Speaker 2: mogul differently than the other waitresses. She noticed how he 94 00:08:43,679 --> 00:08:47,680 Speaker 2: cared for Elise, who suffered from cancer. He held her 95 00:08:47,760 --> 00:08:51,160 Speaker 2: scotch to her lips to help her drink it. She 96 00:08:51,280 --> 00:08:55,199 Speaker 2: thought this was a sweet, loyal man, one who cared 97 00:08:55,200 --> 00:09:00,680 Speaker 2: for the woman he loved with everything he had. Was right, 98 00:09:01,480 --> 00:09:05,120 Speaker 2: She learned from her coworkers and patrons that Elise had 99 00:09:05,160 --> 00:09:08,400 Speaker 2: been married to Steve for decades and they had three 100 00:09:08,480 --> 00:09:14,199 Speaker 2: adult children together. She'd helped him build his wealth, never overspending, 101 00:09:14,760 --> 00:09:20,520 Speaker 2: although she sometimes overindulged in alcohol and golf and cigarettes. 102 00:09:21,520 --> 00:09:25,640 Speaker 2: Steve begged her for years to quit smoking. She wouldn't. 103 00:09:26,520 --> 00:09:30,000 Speaker 2: Then came the illness and the attentive care from Steve 104 00:09:30,440 --> 00:09:34,480 Speaker 2: that Celeste clocked at the country club for six months 105 00:09:34,559 --> 00:09:38,040 Speaker 2: up to Elisa's death. Steve sat by her hospital bed. 106 00:09:39,160 --> 00:09:42,200 Speaker 2: He asked friends, what's going to happen to me after 107 00:09:42,240 --> 00:09:46,720 Speaker 2: she dies? He still showed up. It's a country club 108 00:09:46,760 --> 00:10:03,760 Speaker 2: for dinners, though, so Celeste observed this decline secondhand. At 109 00:10:03,800 --> 00:10:07,840 Speaker 2: least Beard died in October of nineteen ninety three. For 110 00:10:07,920 --> 00:10:11,760 Speaker 2: two weeks, Steve sat in his new loneliness. Then he 111 00:10:11,840 --> 00:10:15,880 Speaker 2: came to the country club and sought some companionship. He 112 00:10:15,920 --> 00:10:21,720 Speaker 2: asked Celeste to dinner. It could have been innocent enough 113 00:10:22,640 --> 00:10:25,920 Speaker 2: when I think about it. A new widower asking for 114 00:10:25,960 --> 00:10:28,679 Speaker 2: a meal with a married server who knew his wife 115 00:10:29,480 --> 00:10:32,720 Speaker 2: isn't all that untoward, Or at least it could be 116 00:10:32,800 --> 00:10:36,400 Speaker 2: a situation of we both know each other is married, 117 00:10:36,559 --> 00:10:42,760 Speaker 2: so it could be pretty innocuous. Plus the club was 118 00:10:42,800 --> 00:10:47,079 Speaker 2: the one place Steve frequented where he wasn't anyone's boss. 119 00:10:47,640 --> 00:10:50,920 Speaker 2: We all hear of business leaders taking advantage of their 120 00:10:50,960 --> 00:10:55,920 Speaker 2: power over hot employees, but that wasn't Steve. All Steve 121 00:10:56,000 --> 00:10:59,640 Speaker 2: did was asked for company, and his kids didn't live 122 00:10:59,640 --> 00:11:03,760 Speaker 2: in town anymore. The only thing I think that could 123 00:11:03,760 --> 00:11:07,240 Speaker 2: be interpreted as a little icky is the proximity to 124 00:11:07,320 --> 00:11:11,280 Speaker 2: his wife's death, And even then, I'm inclined to stick 125 00:11:11,400 --> 00:11:15,320 Speaker 2: up for Steve, even taking that into account, because who 126 00:11:15,360 --> 00:11:18,840 Speaker 2: knows really how long he'd been alone before at last died, 127 00:11:19,640 --> 00:11:24,360 Speaker 2: Plus people grieved differently. What Steve didn't know was that 128 00:11:24,520 --> 00:11:29,040 Speaker 2: Celeste had been planning to divorce her second husband, Jimmy Martinez, 129 00:11:30,400 --> 00:11:35,480 Speaker 2: and Celeste saw that opportunity she was looking for in Steve. 130 00:11:43,160 --> 00:11:46,840 Speaker 2: After Steve and Celeste had dinner at an Italian style villa, 131 00:11:47,360 --> 00:11:50,480 Speaker 2: Steve drove her to his house on Lake Austin, where 132 00:11:50,520 --> 00:11:54,040 Speaker 2: they spent the evening listening to music and drinking cocktails 133 00:11:54,040 --> 00:11:58,400 Speaker 2: in his hot tub. Then she drove herself home in 134 00:11:58,559 --> 00:12:03,520 Speaker 2: his Lexus. When Steve was back at work the next day, 135 00:12:04,000 --> 00:12:08,240 Speaker 2: his office door forever opened. He yelled out to his mentee, 136 00:12:08,559 --> 00:12:11,720 Speaker 2: Ray mckeachern, if you ever call the house at night 137 00:12:11,800 --> 00:12:18,480 Speaker 2: looking for me or anything, I have a new house manager, Celeste. 138 00:12:18,600 --> 00:12:22,520 Speaker 2: By New Year's Day nineteen ninety four, Celeste moved in 139 00:12:22,559 --> 00:12:25,400 Speaker 2: with Steve and quit her job at the Austin Country 140 00:12:25,400 --> 00:12:29,120 Speaker 2: Club because Steve was embarrassed that his girlfriend worked there. 141 00:12:30,640 --> 00:12:33,560 Speaker 2: Steve and Celeste got married a little over a year later, 142 00:12:34,240 --> 00:12:39,920 Speaker 2: on February eighteenth, nineteen ninety five. Steve's adult daughter, Becky, 143 00:12:40,080 --> 00:12:44,199 Speaker 2: said she was not happy about the relationship, but her 144 00:12:44,320 --> 00:12:52,719 Speaker 2: dad was really happy, though they never stated this outright. 145 00:12:53,360 --> 00:12:57,080 Speaker 2: At face value, Becky and her brothers had reason to 146 00:12:57,160 --> 00:13:02,120 Speaker 2: be concerned. Their dad was rich, he was marrying a 147 00:13:02,160 --> 00:13:06,800 Speaker 2: waitress thirty years younger than he was, and it all 148 00:13:06,880 --> 00:13:12,040 Speaker 2: happened pretty quickly. Plus it started when Steve was vulnerable, 149 00:13:12,800 --> 00:13:17,679 Speaker 2: just after his beloved wife finally died after a long illness. 150 00:13:19,240 --> 00:13:22,360 Speaker 2: At best, it seems like a crutch for Steve's pain. 151 00:13:23,640 --> 00:13:28,960 Speaker 2: At worst, Celeste was taking advantage of Steve for his money. 152 00:13:29,880 --> 00:13:34,200 Speaker 2: But Steve seemed happy, so his family was supportive, because 153 00:13:34,880 --> 00:13:38,160 Speaker 2: that's what you do for people you love, right, You 154 00:13:38,200 --> 00:13:41,040 Speaker 2: support their decisions, even when you don't agree with them 155 00:13:42,120 --> 00:13:52,840 Speaker 2: up to a point, of course. Steve lavished Celeste with gifts, money, clothes, 156 00:13:53,280 --> 00:13:57,920 Speaker 2: new homes to decorate in decadence, but his family's concerns 157 00:13:57,960 --> 00:14:02,520 Speaker 2: were realized within just a couple months of their marriage. 158 00:14:02,760 --> 00:14:06,760 Speaker 2: Steve never suspected a thing, nor saw any real concern 159 00:14:06,920 --> 00:14:11,679 Speaker 2: with Celeste's spending habits. It was actually his banker who 160 00:14:11,760 --> 00:14:16,480 Speaker 2: alerted him, and even then it wasn't on grounds of 161 00:14:16,520 --> 00:14:21,360 Speaker 2: a cash flow alarm. It was much worse, much more 162 00:14:21,360 --> 00:14:27,240 Speaker 2: personal than just spending his money. Celeste had been removing 163 00:14:27,320 --> 00:14:30,760 Speaker 2: jewelry from the safety deposit box he owned with his 164 00:14:30,800 --> 00:14:37,200 Speaker 2: first wife, Elise. Basically, Celeste had been stealing his stad 165 00:14:37,200 --> 00:14:41,760 Speaker 2: wife's jewelry and then it disappeared. By that, I mean 166 00:14:42,080 --> 00:14:46,240 Speaker 2: first she stole it and then she sold it. Just 167 00:14:46,320 --> 00:14:49,360 Speaker 2: to draw out how serious of an offense this is. 168 00:14:49,800 --> 00:14:53,360 Speaker 2: It's not really about the valuation of the jewelry, which 169 00:14:53,640 --> 00:14:57,520 Speaker 2: was still huge. It's the fact that she stole it, 170 00:14:58,000 --> 00:15:02,000 Speaker 2: the fact that she stole from her husband, the fact 171 00:15:02,000 --> 00:15:05,600 Speaker 2: that she stole from his first wife, the fact that, 172 00:15:05,960 --> 00:15:09,520 Speaker 2: if we draw out just a little bit more, Celeste 173 00:15:09,560 --> 00:15:15,400 Speaker 2: stole heirloom jewelry from Steve's children, so Steve filed for 174 00:15:15,480 --> 00:15:22,720 Speaker 2: a divorce. Then the couple reconciled almost immediately. He withdrew 175 00:15:22,720 --> 00:15:26,920 Speaker 2: the petition four years, almost to the day of their wedding. 176 00:15:29,080 --> 00:15:33,080 Speaker 2: I am not sure how Celeste managed to gain his forgiveness, 177 00:15:33,560 --> 00:15:37,280 Speaker 2: but whatever she did, it tells us one thing. Celeste 178 00:15:37,480 --> 00:15:50,000 Speaker 2: could be very convincing. A lot of people have talked 179 00:15:50,000 --> 00:15:54,520 Speaker 2: about Celeste as a real charmer. She had a sweet voice, 180 00:15:55,040 --> 00:15:58,520 Speaker 2: a slight lisp, and when she talked to someone, her 181 00:15:58,560 --> 00:16:02,320 Speaker 2: attention felt sort of like a halo. It made people 182 00:16:02,440 --> 00:16:06,760 Speaker 2: feel special to get that kind of attention. This all 183 00:16:06,840 --> 00:16:11,040 Speaker 2: really comes into play at Saint David's Pavilion, the psychiatric 184 00:16:11,120 --> 00:16:14,720 Speaker 2: hospital where Celeste was admitted in nineteen ninety eight after 185 00:16:14,760 --> 00:16:21,160 Speaker 2: attempting suicide. The level of intense attention patients received at 186 00:16:21,200 --> 00:16:25,320 Speaker 2: Saint David's can be especially appealing to people who aren't 187 00:16:25,440 --> 00:16:29,720 Speaker 2: used to it, people who have never had that kind 188 00:16:29,760 --> 00:16:34,800 Speaker 2: of attention, and sometimes that kind of attention can be 189 00:16:34,920 --> 00:16:39,960 Speaker 2: mistaken for a special bond, especially if the person giving 190 00:16:40,040 --> 00:16:43,400 Speaker 2: that kind of attention really knows how to wield it 191 00:16:43,440 --> 00:16:53,040 Speaker 2: like a weapon. Tracy Charlton was the kind of person 192 00:16:53,680 --> 00:16:58,920 Speaker 2: who's always looking for love, It's a very sympathetic desire. 193 00:16:59,520 --> 00:17:03,080 Speaker 2: Anyone who struggled with mental illness knows that your support 194 00:17:03,160 --> 00:17:08,840 Speaker 2: system is crucial, and Tracy didn't really have that, so 195 00:17:08,960 --> 00:17:12,320 Speaker 2: Lets sniffed out that desire and turned her high beams 196 00:17:12,320 --> 00:17:20,160 Speaker 2: on Tracy. It wasn't Tracy Tarleton's first time with psychological instability. 197 00:17:21,200 --> 00:17:24,439 Speaker 2: She had a history of emotional disturbance dating back to 198 00:17:24,480 --> 00:17:29,720 Speaker 2: her childhood. Tracy was a Longhorn camper, a summer camp 199 00:17:29,800 --> 00:17:34,120 Speaker 2: that hosted the children of wealthy Texans like President George W. 200 00:17:34,240 --> 00:17:39,080 Speaker 2: Bush and pop singer slash actress Hillary Duff. Tracy was 201 00:17:39,160 --> 00:17:43,159 Speaker 2: known for her strong swimming skills, her tomboy nature, and 202 00:17:43,359 --> 00:17:50,639 Speaker 2: helpful spirit. That disposition changed before her twelfth summer. Not 203 00:17:50,720 --> 00:17:55,360 Speaker 2: her helpful nature, though that was always there. What did 204 00:17:55,440 --> 00:17:59,880 Speaker 2: change is that she grew up. Her elder brother's bully 205 00:18:00,119 --> 00:18:03,199 Speaker 2: her during the school year, and she was expected to 206 00:18:03,240 --> 00:18:07,680 Speaker 2: act like them, defending herself and tolerating a childhood home 207 00:18:07,760 --> 00:18:13,399 Speaker 2: that had been classified all around as rough. By the 208 00:18:13,440 --> 00:18:17,040 Speaker 2: time she became a counselor at Camp Longhorn, she was 209 00:18:17,160 --> 00:18:22,040 Speaker 2: known for crude campfire jokes, profane language, and an explosive 210 00:18:22,160 --> 00:18:26,560 Speaker 2: rage problem that flared up. When she was challenged, her 211 00:18:26,560 --> 00:18:32,960 Speaker 2: initials were TNT, and she said that just about sums 212 00:18:33,000 --> 00:18:39,600 Speaker 2: me up TNT. Her early adulthood at the University of 213 00:18:39,640 --> 00:18:44,680 Speaker 2: Texas was pretty fraught too. She surprised everyone by rushing 214 00:18:44,880 --> 00:18:48,520 Speaker 2: and joining a sorority. She seemed to really crave the parties. 215 00:18:49,880 --> 00:18:52,720 Speaker 2: Tracy didn't come out as a lesbian until much later, 216 00:18:53,240 --> 00:18:56,960 Speaker 2: and by then she had already attempted suicide at least once, 217 00:18:57,600 --> 00:19:01,640 Speaker 2: experimented with substances, and checked in and out of rehabilitation 218 00:19:01,920 --> 00:19:07,760 Speaker 2: and psychiatric hospitals. She spent several years at the US 219 00:19:07,880 --> 00:19:12,480 Speaker 2: Fish and Wildlife Service, then worked for back Conservation International, 220 00:19:12,640 --> 00:19:17,959 Speaker 2: where she produced emergency protection for bat hibernation caves. By 221 00:19:18,040 --> 00:19:21,800 Speaker 2: nineteen ninety nine, Tracy was in her dream job. She 222 00:19:21,960 --> 00:19:27,720 Speaker 2: was the high profile general manager of Texas's largest independent bookstore, 223 00:19:28,320 --> 00:19:32,399 Speaker 2: the Queer Friendly Book People, and she had a girlfriend 224 00:19:32,520 --> 00:19:37,160 Speaker 2: whom she loved. That girlfriend was also married to a man. 225 00:19:39,720 --> 00:19:46,320 Speaker 2: This might be editorializing, it's definitely editorializing. But when people 226 00:19:46,359 --> 00:19:50,639 Speaker 2: are desperate for love and the love is reciprocated, even 227 00:19:50,920 --> 00:19:55,720 Speaker 2: just a little bit, they doubled down, they love hard. 228 00:19:56,640 --> 00:20:00,000 Speaker 2: That's truly the person you want to fight in your corner. 229 00:20:01,640 --> 00:20:05,080 Speaker 2: So when Tracy's girlfriend, Zan came home to find her 230 00:20:05,160 --> 00:20:10,119 Speaker 2: husband dead, Tracy was with Zan at the funeral. She 231 00:20:10,280 --> 00:20:13,040 Speaker 2: stood by Zan when Zan broke the news of his 232 00:20:13,119 --> 00:20:18,000 Speaker 2: suicide to her employees at her hair salon too. Not 233 00:20:18,119 --> 00:20:22,960 Speaker 2: long after that, though, Zan broke up with Tracy. Soon 234 00:20:23,080 --> 00:20:26,280 Speaker 2: after the breakup with Zan, Tracy blew up in a 235 00:20:26,400 --> 00:20:30,920 Speaker 2: rage in front of her employees at book People. That's 236 00:20:30,960 --> 00:20:35,480 Speaker 2: when she checked herself into Saint David's pavilion, and that's 237 00:20:35,480 --> 00:20:46,520 Speaker 2: where she met Celeste Beeard. Nurses on the suicide watch 238 00:20:47,040 --> 00:20:52,840 Speaker 2: confirmed Tracy's immediate closeness with Celeste. Every fifteen minutes they 239 00:20:52,840 --> 00:20:58,440 Speaker 2: did rounds. Once they found Tracy massaging Celeste's back while 240 00:20:58,480 --> 00:21:03,119 Speaker 2: Celeste was shirtless. The women claimed not to know the 241 00:21:03,200 --> 00:21:07,120 Speaker 2: rule that they weren't allowed to touch when the nurses 242 00:21:07,240 --> 00:21:14,560 Speaker 2: changed shifts, though they would not know again. Even after 243 00:21:14,600 --> 00:21:19,560 Speaker 2: they were discharged from the hospital. Celeste and Tracy maintained contact. 244 00:21:20,640 --> 00:21:25,040 Speaker 2: Celeste would visit the bookstore, sometimes bringing her daughters. She 245 00:21:25,160 --> 00:21:28,520 Speaker 2: invited Tracy to parties, and there are several photos of 246 00:21:28,560 --> 00:21:34,280 Speaker 2: the pair just hanging out unstructured. Chill time is the 247 00:21:34,320 --> 00:21:37,800 Speaker 2: foundation for many friendships and that is not just me 248 00:21:37,880 --> 00:21:42,160 Speaker 2: saying it. There's science to back that up. We'll link 249 00:21:42,240 --> 00:21:44,520 Speaker 2: to this in the show notes in case you're curious. 250 00:21:45,560 --> 00:21:49,000 Speaker 2: It's one reason why college friendships tend to last, that 251 00:21:49,240 --> 00:21:54,399 Speaker 2: time of doing nothing together. That's what it seems like. 252 00:21:54,520 --> 00:21:59,240 Speaker 2: Celeste and Tracy had. They bonded quick, but their relationship 253 00:21:59,320 --> 00:22:02,119 Speaker 2: grew as a result of the time they spent together. 254 00:22:04,000 --> 00:22:44,679 Speaker 2: And then there was the shooting. In the early morning 255 00:22:44,760 --> 00:22:49,959 Speaker 2: of October two, nineteen ninety nine, Tracy Charlton laced up 256 00:22:50,000 --> 00:22:55,159 Speaker 2: her black sneakers, packed her Frankie twenty gage shotgun, and 257 00:22:55,240 --> 00:23:00,240 Speaker 2: cranked her SUV. She drove from CD South Austin to 258 00:23:00,320 --> 00:23:05,560 Speaker 2: what residents referred to as Lexus Land, up the driveway 259 00:23:06,440 --> 00:23:10,000 Speaker 2: to the mansion where Celeste lived with her family, her 260 00:23:10,040 --> 00:23:16,800 Speaker 2: twin teenage daughters, and her husband, Steve. The alarm system 261 00:23:16,920 --> 00:23:21,160 Speaker 2: was off, the dogs were asleep in the kid's room 262 00:23:21,400 --> 00:23:26,920 Speaker 2: with Celeste and Christina, one of Celeste's daughters. Her other daughter, Jennifer, 263 00:23:27,280 --> 00:23:30,159 Speaker 2: was away at their vacation house at a lake with 264 00:23:30,240 --> 00:23:37,119 Speaker 2: her boyfriend. All of that was normal. The beards hardly 265 00:23:37,160 --> 00:23:40,680 Speaker 2: ever set the alarms. Celeste rarely slept in the same 266 00:23:40,720 --> 00:23:43,800 Speaker 2: bed as Steve because his sleep apney machine kept her awake, 267 00:23:44,800 --> 00:23:48,560 Speaker 2: and as Susie Spencer records in The Fortune Hunter, Celeste 268 00:23:48,640 --> 00:23:52,520 Speaker 2: called her dogs quote her babies, and they'd never once 269 00:23:52,840 --> 00:23:55,760 Speaker 2: slept in the custom dog bed that she had commissioned 270 00:23:55,800 --> 00:24:01,480 Speaker 2: to match the bed in the primary bedroom. Jennifer, meanwhile, 271 00:24:01,560 --> 00:24:04,480 Speaker 2: often spent the weekends at the lake with her boyfriend. 272 00:24:06,119 --> 00:24:08,840 Speaker 2: When Tracy pulled up, she seemed to know all of that. 273 00:24:09,960 --> 00:24:12,879 Speaker 2: She didn't seem afraid of the alarm or of running 274 00:24:12,920 --> 00:24:17,400 Speaker 2: into Celeste in Steve's bed. She just racked her shotgun 275 00:24:18,000 --> 00:24:21,879 Speaker 2: and walked into the house. She knew where she was going. 276 00:24:22,760 --> 00:24:26,440 Speaker 2: She moved toward the primary bedroom, nudged open the door, 277 00:24:27,520 --> 00:24:31,119 Speaker 2: and while he was fully asleep, Tracy blasted a hole 278 00:24:31,240 --> 00:24:36,800 Speaker 2: in Steve's abdomen. Then she walked back out of his room, 279 00:24:37,640 --> 00:24:45,639 Speaker 2: out of the house, and she left. Steve later said 280 00:24:45,760 --> 00:24:49,399 Speaker 2: it felt like his gut had exploded. He held in 281 00:24:49,480 --> 00:24:52,639 Speaker 2: his intestines with one hand, and with the other he 282 00:24:52,720 --> 00:24:55,920 Speaker 2: tried to trip the emergency alarm. It didn't go off. 283 00:24:56,960 --> 00:25:02,359 Speaker 2: Still conscious, Steve picked up the phone and died. Steve 284 00:25:02,400 --> 00:25:05,800 Speaker 2: always thought the crime was associated with an intruder, and 285 00:25:05,880 --> 00:25:09,360 Speaker 2: at first he didn't even realize he'd been trapped. When 286 00:25:09,400 --> 00:25:12,639 Speaker 2: the first responders arrived, they had to break the sliding 287 00:25:12,680 --> 00:25:15,800 Speaker 2: glass doors to get to Steve. One of them said 288 00:25:15,840 --> 00:25:18,680 Speaker 2: he was holding in his intestines that if he moved 289 00:25:18,720 --> 00:25:24,000 Speaker 2: his hand they'd fall out. Celeste and Christina woke up 290 00:25:24,000 --> 00:25:28,120 Speaker 2: in their room amid the chaos. Police Sergeant Greg Truett 291 00:25:28,119 --> 00:25:32,040 Speaker 2: heard Celeste say, this is perfect timing. We were supposed 292 00:25:32,040 --> 00:25:39,840 Speaker 2: to go to Europe tomorrow. That comment was odd. I 293 00:25:40,119 --> 00:25:43,720 Speaker 2: am of the mind that people grieve differently, for sure, 294 00:25:44,520 --> 00:25:47,760 Speaker 2: and that we can't really know how we'll act in 295 00:25:47,800 --> 00:25:52,960 Speaker 2: a situation like this. That doesn't make it not weird, though, 296 00:25:53,840 --> 00:25:59,000 Speaker 2: and the police officers took note. There was another oddity 297 00:25:59,240 --> 00:26:03,399 Speaker 2: that caught the profecttional's attention. Celeste and Christina went with 298 00:26:03,520 --> 00:26:08,320 Speaker 2: Steve to the hospital. Christina's boyfriend met them there. At 299 00:26:08,359 --> 00:26:13,360 Speaker 2: the hospital, Detective Holly Dillard told the Criminal Investigation Division 300 00:26:13,680 --> 00:26:18,439 Speaker 2: to look into Celeste as a suspect because Celeste was 301 00:26:18,480 --> 00:26:28,160 Speaker 2: wearing a bra. People don't sleep in Bras Sergeant Paul 302 00:26:28,240 --> 00:26:32,280 Speaker 2: Knight questioned Celeste about what happened earlier before the shooting, 303 00:26:33,480 --> 00:26:37,000 Speaker 2: Celeste said Steve went to bed between nine thirty and ten, 304 00:26:38,040 --> 00:26:40,280 Speaker 2: and then she left for about an hour to see 305 00:26:40,320 --> 00:26:45,440 Speaker 2: Jennifer and her boyfriend at the lake house. He asked 306 00:26:45,480 --> 00:26:48,720 Speaker 2: her all the normal questions, how long was the drive 307 00:26:48,800 --> 00:26:52,080 Speaker 2: out and back? Who was she with? When was the 308 00:26:52,160 --> 00:26:57,120 Speaker 2: last time she saw Steve. Celeste volunteered that she had 309 00:26:57,119 --> 00:27:00,240 Speaker 2: stopped for gas and the time on her receipt eat 310 00:27:00,440 --> 00:27:04,919 Speaker 2: would prove when. She also volunteered that she and Steve 311 00:27:05,119 --> 00:27:07,399 Speaker 2: were about to go on a trip and that she 312 00:27:07,440 --> 00:27:09,760 Speaker 2: had cash to check for the kids to live on 313 00:27:09,840 --> 00:27:13,439 Speaker 2: while they were gone. About a thousand dollars should be 314 00:27:13,440 --> 00:27:17,400 Speaker 2: in Steve's wallet. If it wasn't there, she said, then 315 00:27:17,400 --> 00:27:21,119 Speaker 2: it must have been a robbery. It was all just 316 00:27:21,520 --> 00:27:26,600 Speaker 2: a bit fishy like she was too prepared for the questions. 317 00:27:28,040 --> 00:27:33,000 Speaker 2: There were other developments though. In the waiting room, Celeste's daughter, 318 00:27:33,080 --> 00:27:38,520 Speaker 2: Jennifer and her boyfriend Christopher had arrived. Sergeant Knight asked 319 00:27:38,520 --> 00:27:41,040 Speaker 2: the group if they could think of anyone who would 320 00:27:41,040 --> 00:27:46,840 Speaker 2: have done this to Steve. They had no answer. Then 321 00:27:46,920 --> 00:27:53,120 Speaker 2: Christopher said, how about that crazy Tracy. No one bit 322 00:27:54,960 --> 00:28:01,439 Speaker 2: Night pressed, Christopher said she's in love with Sela. The 323 00:28:01,480 --> 00:28:05,359 Speaker 2: twins didn't say much, but their boyfriends reminded them of 324 00:28:05,400 --> 00:28:09,880 Speaker 2: the time when Christina took Tracy's guns from her Earlier 325 00:28:09,920 --> 00:28:13,800 Speaker 2: in the year. Tracy had been suicidal, so Christina went 326 00:28:13,880 --> 00:28:17,119 Speaker 2: to her house in South Austin, took her guns and 327 00:28:17,200 --> 00:28:19,919 Speaker 2: turned them into the police so she couldn't cause her 328 00:28:19,960 --> 00:28:26,520 Speaker 2: self harm. Knight went back to Celeste. He asked, who's Tracy. 329 00:28:27,240 --> 00:28:34,399 Speaker 2: Celeste said she's nobody and then just a friend. But 330 00:28:34,560 --> 00:28:38,080 Speaker 2: Knight wasn't convinced that this gun toting Tracy was nobody. 331 00:28:39,480 --> 00:28:42,880 Speaker 2: While the family was at the hospital, police officers back 332 00:28:42,920 --> 00:28:46,320 Speaker 2: at the Beard house had found a bright yellow Winchester 333 00:28:46,520 --> 00:28:50,360 Speaker 2: super Ex shotgun. Sheholl if that shell could be matched 334 00:28:50,360 --> 00:28:54,120 Speaker 2: to one of Tracy's firearms. Well, that got them somewhere. 335 00:28:57,560 --> 00:29:01,040 Speaker 2: The following morning, Sergeant Knight ran a police check on Tracy. 336 00:29:02,240 --> 00:29:05,440 Speaker 2: He found only a few things, the most recent of 337 00:29:05,480 --> 00:29:09,720 Speaker 2: which was a DWI, and he found her most recent address. 338 00:29:10,760 --> 00:29:14,560 Speaker 2: There was no time to waste. Knight and his detective 339 00:29:14,640 --> 00:29:19,720 Speaker 2: Wines visited Tracy at her house with no notice. She 340 00:29:19,880 --> 00:29:22,920 Speaker 2: lived in the part of Austin that was, depending on 341 00:29:23,160 --> 00:29:26,960 Speaker 2: whom you ask, either the only place to be or 342 00:29:27,000 --> 00:29:31,120 Speaker 2: a place to avoid completely. They asked if they could 343 00:29:31,160 --> 00:29:36,280 Speaker 2: talk to her, and she invited them inside. Do you 344 00:29:36,320 --> 00:29:44,160 Speaker 2: know Steve Beard? Tracy said, we're friends. They asked if 345 00:29:44,200 --> 00:29:49,280 Speaker 2: she had a shotgun. She said she did. They asked 346 00:29:49,280 --> 00:29:53,840 Speaker 2: to see it. She hesitated and then brought out her 347 00:29:53,880 --> 00:29:59,840 Speaker 2: freshly cleaned, franky twenty gage. The detectives asked Tracy if 348 00:29:59,840 --> 00:30:03,200 Speaker 2: she would come into the station so they could talk more. 349 00:30:04,080 --> 00:30:07,320 Speaker 2: They weren't arresting her, but they did seize her gun. 350 00:30:09,160 --> 00:30:13,800 Speaker 2: Two days later, the ballistics report came back the shell 351 00:30:13,920 --> 00:30:17,840 Speaker 2: fired into Steve Beard was fired from Tracy Tarlton's shotgun. 352 00:30:19,280 --> 00:30:36,120 Speaker 2: Police arrested Tracy for attempted murder on November fourth. Tracy 353 00:30:36,280 --> 00:30:40,400 Speaker 2: maintained her innocence, but when she was asked about Celeste, 354 00:30:41,160 --> 00:30:44,640 Speaker 2: she knew a lot about their relationship between Celeste and Steve, 355 00:30:45,360 --> 00:30:51,320 Speaker 2: and she blamed Celeste's depression on Steve. Steve meanwhile told 356 00:30:51,360 --> 00:30:56,080 Speaker 2: his friend that the doctors were optimistic without his huge belly, 357 00:30:56,120 --> 00:31:00,160 Speaker 2: though the shot would have obliterated him. He said, I 358 00:31:00,200 --> 00:31:05,360 Speaker 2: told you being fat was an asset. Steve underwent six 359 00:31:05,440 --> 00:31:08,320 Speaker 2: surgeries on his abdomen as a result of the shooting. 360 00:31:09,280 --> 00:31:13,320 Speaker 2: Each went well. After around four months of hospital care, 361 00:31:13,760 --> 00:31:18,880 Speaker 2: he was released back home If that was that, maybe 362 00:31:18,920 --> 00:31:23,240 Speaker 2: this story would have ended here, Tracy behind bars for 363 00:31:23,320 --> 00:31:28,840 Speaker 2: attempted murder. A few odd statements from Celeste buried somewhere 364 00:31:29,000 --> 00:31:34,160 Speaker 2: in the dusty police files. But if the murder attempt 365 00:31:34,200 --> 00:31:38,400 Speaker 2: on Steve was shocking, it was even more shocking when 366 00:31:38,480 --> 00:31:43,600 Speaker 2: Steve suddenly died. The cause of death was a blood clot, 367 00:31:44,160 --> 00:31:50,720 Speaker 2: a complication of the gunshot wound. In later interviews, Jennifer 368 00:31:50,880 --> 00:31:56,200 Speaker 2: tearfully says she often recalls Steve before that clot. He 369 00:31:56,360 --> 00:31:58,719 Speaker 2: was doing so well that he encouraged her to go 370 00:31:58,760 --> 00:32:05,000 Speaker 2: to Houston, saying, go have fun, and she never thought 371 00:32:05,120 --> 00:32:10,600 Speaker 2: it would be the last words he said to her. Weirdly, 372 00:32:10,640 --> 00:32:14,360 Speaker 2: Steve's death blew the case wide open. It was no 373 00:32:14,440 --> 00:32:20,600 Speaker 2: longer assault. Now Tracy would be tried for murder. Still, 374 00:32:21,200 --> 00:32:24,040 Speaker 2: Tracy was tight lipped about why she had committed the 375 00:32:24,080 --> 00:32:29,600 Speaker 2: crime and who might have helped her. That is until 376 00:32:29,680 --> 00:32:36,320 Speaker 2: six months later, when Celeste got remarried. Suddenly, Tracy had 377 00:32:36,320 --> 00:32:39,560 Speaker 2: a very different story to tell about what happened that 378 00:32:39,640 --> 00:32:44,080 Speaker 2: October night, and about the relationship between her and Celeste 379 00:32:44,440 --> 00:32:49,000 Speaker 2: that led up to it, about the things Celeste said 380 00:32:49,560 --> 00:32:53,600 Speaker 2: to make her do it. What's more, is that in 381 00:32:53,680 --> 00:32:59,000 Speaker 2: their devastation after Steve's death, Christina and Jennifer, Celeste's daughters, 382 00:32:59,360 --> 00:33:03,800 Speaker 2: had a change of heart too. After staying silent for months, 383 00:33:04,400 --> 00:33:33,240 Speaker 2: they were ready to talk. Any true crime follower knows 384 00:33:33,280 --> 00:33:36,880 Speaker 2: that beyond the victim themselves, there are a lot of 385 00:33:36,920 --> 00:33:41,600 Speaker 2: other casualties when there's a murder, particularly family members and 386 00:33:41,840 --> 00:33:47,800 Speaker 2: especially children. Celeste had her twin daughters, Jennifer and Christina, 387 00:33:48,200 --> 00:33:52,640 Speaker 2: with her first husband, Craig Butcher. By the time Steve 388 00:33:52,720 --> 00:33:58,280 Speaker 2: came into the picture, Jennifer and Christina were teenagers. As 389 00:33:58,280 --> 00:34:01,600 Speaker 2: a former teenager with divorced parents, I can't help with 390 00:34:01,720 --> 00:34:06,720 Speaker 2: sympathize with Jennifer and Christina on that level alone. First 391 00:34:06,720 --> 00:34:10,320 Speaker 2: of all, anytime something tragic happens to a young woman, 392 00:34:10,400 --> 00:34:13,240 Speaker 2: what's the first thing we want to do. We dye 393 00:34:13,320 --> 00:34:17,680 Speaker 2: our hair and then we rebel with our clothes. That's 394 00:34:17,719 --> 00:34:22,239 Speaker 2: pretty much a universal truth, and Jennifer at least exhibited 395 00:34:22,280 --> 00:34:26,560 Speaker 2: both those things. I don't want to speak for them, 396 00:34:26,960 --> 00:34:29,640 Speaker 2: but when parents split up, you kind of feel like 397 00:34:29,760 --> 00:34:32,600 Speaker 2: you have to choose a side, even if no one 398 00:34:32,680 --> 00:34:36,200 Speaker 2: is asking you to, even if people are telling you 399 00:34:36,320 --> 00:34:41,080 Speaker 2: not to. But no one was telling them not to 400 00:34:41,160 --> 00:34:47,440 Speaker 2: choose a side. When Celeste married Steve, Jennifer was living 401 00:34:47,440 --> 00:34:51,959 Speaker 2: with her father, Craig in Washington State. Christina was living 402 00:34:52,040 --> 00:34:58,480 Speaker 2: with her stepfather, Jimmy Martinez, Celes's second husband. In case 403 00:34:58,520 --> 00:35:00,960 Speaker 2: it's hard to keep up with her husban, here's a 404 00:35:01,040 --> 00:35:05,520 Speaker 2: quick review. At this point, Celeste was married three times, 405 00:35:06,360 --> 00:35:09,520 Speaker 2: first to Craig, with whom she had Jennifer and Christina, 406 00:35:10,400 --> 00:35:14,719 Speaker 2: then to Jimmy, and then to Steve. The twins were 407 00:35:14,719 --> 00:35:17,080 Speaker 2: getting ready to go to Disney World with Craig in 408 00:35:17,160 --> 00:35:22,200 Speaker 2: nineteen ninety six when they got some tragic news. Craig 409 00:35:22,320 --> 00:35:28,560 Speaker 2: had taken his own life with a shotgun. Jennifer called 410 00:35:28,600 --> 00:35:33,560 Speaker 2: her mother to tell her the news. Celeste flew out 411 00:35:33,600 --> 00:35:36,480 Speaker 2: to get the girls. She had been trying to get 412 00:35:36,520 --> 00:35:41,560 Speaker 2: custody of them for years. Anyway. When Celeste came back 413 00:35:41,600 --> 00:35:46,000 Speaker 2: to Austin with her daughters right after their father killed himself, 414 00:35:47,280 --> 00:35:52,200 Speaker 2: that was the first time Jennifer ever met Steve. Steve 415 00:35:52,239 --> 00:35:55,440 Speaker 2: took care of the girls, immediately setting them up with 416 00:35:55,520 --> 00:36:00,640 Speaker 2: clothes a home school in the most supportive but the 417 00:36:00,760 --> 00:36:06,400 Speaker 2: least invasive ways possible. In nineteen ninety eight, when the 418 00:36:06,440 --> 00:36:11,720 Speaker 2: twins were seventeen, Steve adopted them both. He also changed 419 00:36:11,760 --> 00:36:14,760 Speaker 2: his will to include them and ensured they'd be taken 420 00:36:14,800 --> 00:36:18,200 Speaker 2: care of for the future. He even added a provision 421 00:36:18,560 --> 00:36:22,799 Speaker 2: which I didn't know you could do, that anyone contesting 422 00:36:22,840 --> 00:36:25,640 Speaker 2: the will at its reading would be revoked from the 423 00:36:25,680 --> 00:36:30,640 Speaker 2: will themselves real quick. I want to remind y'all. Adopting 424 00:36:30,680 --> 00:36:34,759 Speaker 2: step children is a big deal. I don't want to 425 00:36:34,800 --> 00:36:37,480 Speaker 2: put too much of a capitalist spin on it, but 426 00:36:38,280 --> 00:36:41,560 Speaker 2: Steve had adult children from his first marriage to Elise 427 00:36:41,719 --> 00:36:45,600 Speaker 2: as well. For him to have adopted Jennifer and Christina 428 00:36:46,000 --> 00:36:51,040 Speaker 2: would ostensibly divide his children's inheritance among them all evenly. 429 00:36:51,840 --> 00:36:53,800 Speaker 2: I don't have the will in front of me or anything, 430 00:36:54,360 --> 00:36:59,719 Speaker 2: but that would be the standard. Plus, remember Steve was 431 00:36:59,719 --> 00:37:04,480 Speaker 2: a mogul. He rubbed elbows with guys like Rupert Murdoch. 432 00:37:05,040 --> 00:37:08,239 Speaker 2: That's a lot of money. Most of the time we 433 00:37:08,360 --> 00:37:12,680 Speaker 2: think of people that rich as well, kind of selfish assholes. 434 00:37:13,080 --> 00:37:18,480 Speaker 2: But Steve adopted more children Jennifer and Christina in his seventies. 435 00:37:19,080 --> 00:37:21,840 Speaker 2: On that action alone, he is a pretty good dude. 436 00:37:23,560 --> 00:37:26,680 Speaker 2: Not to mention, when he redrafted his will, he willed 437 00:37:26,680 --> 00:37:31,200 Speaker 2: more to Celeste too. It turned out that just like 438 00:37:31,280 --> 00:37:34,439 Speaker 2: Celeste had intuited from the moment she saw him help 439 00:37:34,480 --> 00:37:37,799 Speaker 2: his sick first wife drink her whiskey. Steve was a 440 00:37:37,840 --> 00:37:47,280 Speaker 2: really good man, but that's not what Celeste told Tracy. 441 00:37:48,640 --> 00:37:52,960 Speaker 2: When Celeste got remarried after Steve's death, while Tracy rotted 442 00:37:53,000 --> 00:37:57,479 Speaker 2: in jail for killing Steve, the whole illusion under which 443 00:37:57,520 --> 00:38:02,880 Speaker 2: Tracy had committed her crime fell a part in exchange 444 00:38:02,920 --> 00:38:06,160 Speaker 2: for a plea bargain of twenty years in prison. Tracy 445 00:38:06,280 --> 00:38:09,799 Speaker 2: was ready to tell the full story, which started back 446 00:38:09,840 --> 00:38:13,840 Speaker 2: at the psychiatric hospital where she and Celeste were roommates. 447 00:38:15,600 --> 00:38:20,840 Speaker 2: That's where the two women's relationship first became sexual. After 448 00:38:20,880 --> 00:38:23,200 Speaker 2: the staff learned about it, Tracy was moved to a 449 00:38:23,239 --> 00:38:27,200 Speaker 2: separate room, but at least according to the appellate court, 450 00:38:27,840 --> 00:38:31,520 Speaker 2: Celeste told Tracy that Steve was responsible for this separation. 451 00:38:33,760 --> 00:38:37,439 Speaker 2: From their first meeting, Celeste maintained to Tracy that her 452 00:38:37,440 --> 00:38:41,480 Speaker 2: marriage was abusive. She said she had married Steve to 453 00:38:41,480 --> 00:38:44,799 Speaker 2: gain custody of her children from their father, since the 454 00:38:44,880 --> 00:38:48,560 Speaker 2: marriage gave her more stability, and now she was trapped. 455 00:38:50,160 --> 00:38:54,520 Speaker 2: After they became outpatients, Tracy and Celeste met in motel rooms, 456 00:38:54,840 --> 00:39:01,919 Speaker 2: where their relationship became quote more intense. Celeste even spent 457 00:39:01,960 --> 00:39:05,160 Speaker 2: the night at Tracy's house several times a week. She 458 00:39:05,320 --> 00:39:09,439 Speaker 2: told Tracy, he's an old man. He's going to die soon, 459 00:39:09,800 --> 00:39:12,879 Speaker 2: but not soon enough, and I'm just going to help 460 00:39:12,920 --> 00:39:18,640 Speaker 2: him along wherever i can. Later in court, Tracy talked 461 00:39:18,640 --> 00:39:22,319 Speaker 2: about how Celeste put sleeping pills in Steve's food and 462 00:39:22,360 --> 00:39:26,040 Speaker 2: replaced his vodka with ever Clear, sometimes hoping that Steve 463 00:39:26,080 --> 00:39:29,000 Speaker 2: would pass out and Celeste could be free for the night. 464 00:39:30,880 --> 00:39:35,520 Speaker 2: On another occasion, Celeste tried to poison Steve with bachelin, 465 00:39:36,080 --> 00:39:42,560 Speaker 2: a deadly nerve tocsin. Once in nineteen ninety nine, Tracy 466 00:39:42,680 --> 00:39:46,640 Speaker 2: visited at Celeste's request, and when she got to the house, 467 00:39:47,160 --> 00:39:51,400 Speaker 2: Steve was unconscious at the dining room table. She helped 468 00:39:51,440 --> 00:39:54,920 Speaker 2: Celeste drag him to the floor and put a trash 469 00:39:54,960 --> 00:39:58,880 Speaker 2: bag over his head in an attempt to asphyxiate him. 470 00:40:00,440 --> 00:40:06,640 Speaker 2: I don't know how they came back from that, Evidently 471 00:40:06,719 --> 00:40:22,600 Speaker 2: they failed. After hearing Tracy's testimony, Prosecutor Bill Mange did 472 00:40:22,640 --> 00:40:26,719 Speaker 2: not need to ask any follow up questions. He realized 473 00:40:26,880 --> 00:40:32,480 Speaker 2: Celeste had put quote meticulous thought into the multiple ways 474 00:40:32,640 --> 00:40:36,840 Speaker 2: she tried to kill Steve. He also realized that Tracy 475 00:40:37,360 --> 00:40:43,640 Speaker 2: was acting out of love. Tracy said she quote believed 476 00:40:43,680 --> 00:40:47,080 Speaker 2: everything Celeste told me about what was going on, and 477 00:40:47,120 --> 00:40:49,759 Speaker 2: I just felt real bad for her, and from what 478 00:40:49,840 --> 00:40:52,720 Speaker 2: I knew, Steve was a terrible man and he wouldn't 479 00:40:52,800 --> 00:40:57,240 Speaker 2: let her up. Celeste also told Tracy about the trip 480 00:40:57,560 --> 00:40:59,880 Speaker 2: she and Steve were taking to Europe for three weeks. 481 00:41:00,920 --> 00:41:03,880 Speaker 2: She said she was scared of the trip that Steve's 482 00:41:03,880 --> 00:41:08,880 Speaker 2: emotional abuse would force her to kill herself. Then, just 483 00:41:08,920 --> 00:41:12,680 Speaker 2: a few days before they were scheduled to leave, Celeste 484 00:41:12,960 --> 00:41:17,120 Speaker 2: suddenly remembered that Tracy was a hunter and that she 485 00:41:17,280 --> 00:41:22,840 Speaker 2: owned a shotgun. That's when Celeste asked Tracy to kill Steve. 486 00:41:24,440 --> 00:41:30,400 Speaker 2: At first, Tracy refused, Then Celeste threatened to kill herself. 487 00:41:31,960 --> 00:41:48,040 Speaker 2: That's when Tracy caved and said she'd do it. Tracy 488 00:41:48,239 --> 00:41:51,200 Speaker 2: also said she asked Celeste to take care of three 489 00:41:51,239 --> 00:41:56,240 Speaker 2: things if she got arrested. One find homes for her pets, 490 00:41:57,280 --> 00:42:02,760 Speaker 2: two pay her legal fees, and three support her in jail. 491 00:42:04,680 --> 00:42:10,000 Speaker 2: Celeste agreed. She also suggested that Tracy should shoot Steve 492 00:42:10,120 --> 00:42:13,760 Speaker 2: in the stomach so that it would be quote less 493 00:42:13,840 --> 00:42:19,919 Speaker 2: messy if he didn't die immediately. Celeste said she'd wait 494 00:42:19,960 --> 00:42:24,960 Speaker 2: for Steve to bleed out and then call the police. 495 00:42:25,600 --> 00:42:29,319 Speaker 2: Tracy told Celeste that her shotgun would auto eject the 496 00:42:29,400 --> 00:42:35,560 Speaker 2: spent shell. Later, from her prison cell Tracy Tarlton said 497 00:42:36,360 --> 00:42:39,480 Speaker 2: that fucking bitch was supposed to pick up the shotgun shell. 498 00:42:41,880 --> 00:42:47,120 Speaker 2: Celeste was charged. She faced a life sentence, but still 499 00:42:47,440 --> 00:42:51,759 Speaker 2: the prosecutors needed more to make their case. In the 500 00:42:51,840 --> 00:42:55,560 Speaker 2: testimony at Celeste's trial, Tracy said to the jury that 501 00:42:55,600 --> 00:42:59,440 Speaker 2: she and Celeste were in a romantic relationship. She said, 502 00:43:00,680 --> 00:43:03,319 Speaker 2: I felt like I loved her, and I believed that 503 00:43:03,400 --> 00:43:06,840 Speaker 2: she loved me. She spent a lot of time letting 504 00:43:06,880 --> 00:43:12,040 Speaker 2: me know that she did. When asked, Celeste maintained that 505 00:43:12,120 --> 00:43:18,720 Speaker 2: they were quote just friends, but Christina remembered something different. 506 00:43:19,640 --> 00:43:23,120 Speaker 2: She remembered once at the lake House, Tracy told her, 507 00:43:23,760 --> 00:43:27,080 Speaker 2: your mom and I are dating. We're a couple. We're 508 00:43:27,080 --> 00:43:32,120 Speaker 2: in love, and we hope you're okay with that. Jennifer 509 00:43:32,160 --> 00:43:36,799 Speaker 2: remembered not really being okay with it. She said in 510 00:43:36,840 --> 00:43:41,239 Speaker 2: a later interview, I just remember being uncomfortable about it 511 00:43:41,280 --> 00:43:44,880 Speaker 2: because I did like Steve. But I'm a kid. What 512 00:43:44,920 --> 00:43:50,040 Speaker 2: do I do? What they did truly was saved the 513 00:43:50,120 --> 00:43:55,279 Speaker 2: day Steve's love for them was not manipulative. Theirs was 514 00:43:55,280 --> 00:43:58,359 Speaker 2: a real family love, and they realized what they had 515 00:43:58,400 --> 00:44:00,879 Speaker 2: with Steve was not with them had with their mother. 516 00:44:02,239 --> 00:44:05,439 Speaker 2: According to a recent interview with Celeste in twenty twenty two, 517 00:44:06,320 --> 00:44:09,839 Speaker 2: she said over the inmate telephone system, the last time 518 00:44:09,880 --> 00:44:13,040 Speaker 2: she spoke to her daughters was August fourth, two thousand, 519 00:44:15,080 --> 00:44:18,839 Speaker 2: when her daughter's testified against Celeste in court. She cut 520 00:44:18,880 --> 00:44:24,040 Speaker 2: them off completely. She said they were after Steve's money. 521 00:44:24,080 --> 00:44:26,960 Speaker 2: With her out of the picture, they'd stand to inherit 522 00:44:27,000 --> 00:44:32,759 Speaker 2: more of it now, she says, I love them, I've 523 00:44:32,800 --> 00:44:36,200 Speaker 2: always loved them. Everything I've done has been with their 524 00:44:36,280 --> 00:44:54,840 Speaker 2: best interest. In reality, Jennifer and Christina had long feared Celeste, 525 00:44:54,920 --> 00:44:58,120 Speaker 2: and they said so in the trial. There's a long 526 00:44:58,280 --> 00:45:01,080 Speaker 2: list of terrifying shit that happened in between Celeste and 527 00:45:01,080 --> 00:45:07,240 Speaker 2: her children. A few notable items I can mention asking 528 00:45:07,239 --> 00:45:10,120 Speaker 2: the twins and their boyfriends to kill themselves with her, 529 00:45:12,400 --> 00:45:15,759 Speaker 2: threatening a salon worker with a kitchen knife that Christina 530 00:45:15,800 --> 00:45:18,839 Speaker 2: had to take from her, and not without cutting both 531 00:45:18,880 --> 00:45:24,279 Speaker 2: Celeste and Christina in the process. Putting sleeping pills in 532 00:45:24,360 --> 00:45:31,080 Speaker 2: Steve's food while the twins watched telling Jennifer she could 533 00:45:31,160 --> 00:45:37,560 Speaker 2: physically kill her sister, Christina. Jennifer even recalled on the 534 00:45:37,640 --> 00:45:40,960 Speaker 2: stand that Celeste drugged her as a child so that 535 00:45:41,000 --> 00:45:46,040 Speaker 2: she became severely ill. She was diagnosed with grandma seizures 536 00:45:46,600 --> 00:45:49,440 Speaker 2: when she went to live with Craig, though they quote 537 00:45:49,920 --> 00:45:56,799 Speaker 2: mysteriously disappeared. The girls were so scared of Celeste that 538 00:45:56,880 --> 00:45:59,480 Speaker 2: they even jumped the gun on trying to convict her 539 00:46:00,320 --> 00:46:03,920 Speaker 2: when they presented evidence in court to support that Celeste 540 00:46:03,920 --> 00:46:07,760 Speaker 2: was a homicidal manipulator. They did it during a hearing 541 00:46:07,840 --> 00:46:12,400 Speaker 2: meant to settle payment of attorney fees. The defense tried 542 00:46:12,440 --> 00:46:15,400 Speaker 2: to object to her playing a tape on those grounds. 543 00:46:16,000 --> 00:46:19,080 Speaker 2: The twins lawyer asked, why do you want the judge 544 00:46:19,080 --> 00:46:23,719 Speaker 2: to hear this? Christina answered. Before the judge could rule 545 00:46:23,760 --> 00:46:28,640 Speaker 2: on the objection, Christina said, I am afraid of her 546 00:46:28,920 --> 00:46:33,440 Speaker 2: and what she might do to me. Christina had started 547 00:46:33,520 --> 00:46:37,120 Speaker 2: recording abusive phone calls from her mother. In one of them, 548 00:46:37,719 --> 00:46:40,200 Speaker 2: the one she played while she was on the stand, 549 00:46:41,200 --> 00:46:47,880 Speaker 2: Celeste told Christina I hired someone to kill Tracy. Everyone 550 00:46:47,960 --> 00:46:52,799 Speaker 2: listening in the courtroom was stunned as a result of 551 00:46:52,800 --> 00:46:56,040 Speaker 2: what they heard on this tape. Part of the court's 552 00:46:56,080 --> 00:47:02,040 Speaker 2: final ruling was a restraining order for Celeste. She couldn't see, contact, 553 00:47:02,440 --> 00:47:07,600 Speaker 2: or interact with her daughters in any way. The judge 554 00:47:07,640 --> 00:47:11,959 Speaker 2: clarified for the girls, not only can she not get 555 00:47:12,000 --> 00:47:15,200 Speaker 2: within two hundred yards of you, but she can't shoot 556 00:47:15,200 --> 00:47:18,120 Speaker 2: a spitball at you. She can't use a knife or 557 00:47:18,120 --> 00:47:21,160 Speaker 2: a gun. She just can't get anywhere near you or 558 00:47:21,200 --> 00:47:28,799 Speaker 2: touch you in any fashion. The ruling seemed to put 559 00:47:28,840 --> 00:47:49,520 Speaker 2: the twins at ease, even if it couldn't undo the damage. 560 00:47:49,760 --> 00:47:53,160 Speaker 2: Two and a half days after the murder trial's closing comments, 561 00:47:53,680 --> 00:47:57,880 Speaker 2: the jury found the least guilty of capital murder. The 562 00:47:57,960 --> 00:48:01,960 Speaker 2: following day, March nineteenth, two thousand and three, she was 563 00:48:02,000 --> 00:48:06,319 Speaker 2: sentenced to life in prison. Her two appeals have been 564 00:48:06,360 --> 00:48:11,360 Speaker 2: tried and denied. By the time she's eligible for parole, 565 00:48:12,080 --> 00:48:17,440 Speaker 2: Celeste will be eighty years old. Tracy Charleton was sentenced 566 00:48:17,480 --> 00:48:22,480 Speaker 2: to twenty years in twenty eleven. After serving a decade, 567 00:48:22,800 --> 00:48:28,319 Speaker 2: she was released on parole. She said, I don't wake 568 00:48:28,400 --> 00:48:33,480 Speaker 2: up one single day without feeling shamed for what I did, 569 00:48:34,360 --> 00:48:37,480 Speaker 2: and even though she has served her time. As of 570 00:48:37,480 --> 00:48:41,960 Speaker 2: that twenty eleven interview, Tracy's life continued to be difficult. 571 00:48:43,000 --> 00:48:46,640 Speaker 2: Her felon status followed her everywhere, from trying to get 572 00:48:46,680 --> 00:48:50,640 Speaker 2: a job to trying to run an apartment. She relied 573 00:48:50,680 --> 00:48:54,560 Speaker 2: heavily on the support from her new community in San Antonio. 574 00:48:55,400 --> 00:48:57,840 Speaker 2: Citizens held a fundraiser to help her get back on 575 00:48:57,880 --> 00:49:02,600 Speaker 2: her feet. In the last interview I could find with 576 00:49:02,640 --> 00:49:07,640 Speaker 2: Tracy from twenty eleven, she expressed her gratitude in addition 577 00:49:07,719 --> 00:49:12,320 Speaker 2: to the remorse she expressed earlier. She said, the people 578 00:49:12,320 --> 00:49:15,920 Speaker 2: who know me and know my story have been very, 579 00:49:16,320 --> 00:49:19,040 Speaker 2: very supportive of me, and I would not have been 580 00:49:19,080 --> 00:49:24,120 Speaker 2: able to make it without these people. Since then, Tracy 581 00:49:24,160 --> 00:49:32,400 Speaker 2: has kept a very low profile. Celeste, meanwhile, is still 582 00:49:32,400 --> 00:49:36,240 Speaker 2: in prison. She knows that Tracy was paroled, and she's 583 00:49:36,400 --> 00:49:41,600 Speaker 2: jealous through all of this. Up to even now, Celeste 584 00:49:41,680 --> 00:49:46,160 Speaker 2: still maintains her innocence. Another way of saying that, in 585 00:49:46,239 --> 00:49:50,439 Speaker 2: my opinion, is that she accepts no responsibility for any 586 00:49:50,520 --> 00:49:55,040 Speaker 2: of the atrocities she put into motion. In a prison 587 00:49:55,080 --> 00:50:00,279 Speaker 2: interview shortly after Tracy's parole, Celeste said, I I just 588 00:50:00,320 --> 00:50:03,319 Speaker 2: wish with all the new laws and everything coming out, 589 00:50:03,560 --> 00:50:06,440 Speaker 2: that somebody would come forward and help me. It's not 590 00:50:06,560 --> 00:50:09,319 Speaker 2: right that Tracy only did ten years. Even if they 591 00:50:09,360 --> 00:50:11,600 Speaker 2: do believe that I asked her to do it, it's 592 00:50:11,600 --> 00:50:14,040 Speaker 2: not right that I'm spending the rest of my life 593 00:50:14,040 --> 00:50:16,880 Speaker 2: in prison and she's doing ten years as the shooter. 594 00:50:18,719 --> 00:50:21,560 Speaker 2: I know we can't convict on subtext, but in my 595 00:50:21,680 --> 00:50:25,480 Speaker 2: literary experience, that shit is as good as a confession. 596 00:50:26,800 --> 00:50:30,040 Speaker 2: Celeste believes she doesn't deserve to be punished because she 597 00:50:30,120 --> 00:50:35,200 Speaker 2: didn't pull a trigger. She thinks that because she manipulated 598 00:50:35,239 --> 00:50:38,000 Speaker 2: someone else to do it, her hands are clean, and 599 00:50:38,080 --> 00:50:42,160 Speaker 2: that's bullshit. They're both culpable. The difference is that Tracy 600 00:50:42,239 --> 00:50:46,759 Speaker 2: has reformed, which is the whole purpose of incarceration. Celese 601 00:50:46,920 --> 00:50:52,640 Speaker 2: is still on her same homicidal nonsense. That's my opinion, obviously, 602 00:50:52,840 --> 00:50:55,680 Speaker 2: but I feel pretty grounded in that Steve's family was 603 00:50:55,760 --> 00:51:01,520 Speaker 2: also able to ultimately forgive Tracy for his death. It's 604 00:51:01,560 --> 00:51:05,719 Speaker 2: such a magnanimous, rare form of grace that it counts 605 00:51:05,800 --> 00:51:10,120 Speaker 2: a lot in Tracy's favor. It doesn't make her innocent 606 00:51:10,239 --> 00:51:16,640 Speaker 2: by any stretch, but it makes her something else. Former 607 00:51:16,640 --> 00:51:20,360 Speaker 2: Sheriff Margot Frasier said that Tracy's sentence was even discussed 608 00:51:20,400 --> 00:51:23,759 Speaker 2: with Steve's family before it was declared and they were 609 00:51:23,800 --> 00:51:27,640 Speaker 2: okay with it. I probably don't have to say this, 610 00:51:28,400 --> 00:51:34,160 Speaker 2: but Steve's family did not extend that same grace to Celeste. 611 00:51:34,480 --> 00:51:39,160 Speaker 2: One of Steve's sons told Celeste directly in the courtroom, 612 00:51:39,560 --> 00:51:44,600 Speaker 2: I hope you burn in hell. In fact, after Celeste 613 00:51:44,640 --> 00:51:50,040 Speaker 2: was declared guilty, Steve's eldest children, Becky, Stephen, and Paul 614 00:51:50,800 --> 00:51:54,760 Speaker 2: issued statements that thanked the jury, the twins, and even 615 00:51:54,800 --> 00:52:03,279 Speaker 2: Tracy for bringing Celeste to justice. The fact is, without Celesting, 616 00:52:04,160 --> 00:52:07,680 Speaker 2: none of this hurt would have ever happened. She has 617 00:52:07,760 --> 00:52:12,200 Speaker 2: ruined the lives of countless people and damaged many others irreparably. 618 00:52:17,239 --> 00:52:20,680 Speaker 2: Jennifer Beard said that she still has nightmares about that 619 00:52:20,760 --> 00:52:23,560 Speaker 2: period of her teenage years, that she tries not to 620 00:52:23,600 --> 00:52:27,680 Speaker 2: think about it and she tries to move on. At 621 00:52:27,680 --> 00:52:31,640 Speaker 2: the trial, Christina told her mother, you say we turned 622 00:52:31,680 --> 00:52:36,200 Speaker 2: on you, Well you turned on us. You turned on 623 00:52:36,280 --> 00:52:40,280 Speaker 2: the whole Beard family. He let you into his home, 624 00:52:41,040 --> 00:52:45,920 Speaker 2: loved you, honored, obeyed you, and you violated him and 625 00:52:46,120 --> 00:53:06,120 Speaker 2: murdered him. Shame on you. Power forwards. But before we go, 626 00:53:06,800 --> 00:53:09,240 Speaker 2: I want to bring you one more perspective on the case. 627 00:53:10,040 --> 00:53:12,520 Speaker 2: I'm so happy I got the chance to talk to 628 00:53:12,560 --> 00:53:16,279 Speaker 2: the wonderful Susie Spencer, who has personal ties to the 629 00:53:16,320 --> 00:53:20,040 Speaker 2: case in addition to all the on the ground research 630 00:53:20,040 --> 00:53:22,799 Speaker 2: she's done to bring this story to the public. That's 631 00:53:22,840 --> 00:53:42,359 Speaker 2: after the break, stay with us. We're here to talk 632 00:53:42,400 --> 00:53:46,560 Speaker 2: about Celeste Beard and Tracy Tarleton and the Fortune Hunter, 633 00:53:46,800 --> 00:53:50,040 Speaker 2: your glorious book. And I guess I wanted to start 634 00:53:50,080 --> 00:53:54,000 Speaker 2: by just asking what inspired you to write about this 635 00:53:54,120 --> 00:53:55,080 Speaker 2: case in particular. 636 00:53:55,440 --> 00:53:57,960 Speaker 1: Well, the main thing is, one day I was having 637 00:53:58,080 --> 00:54:00,080 Speaker 1: lunch with a friend of mine and she said, I 638 00:54:00,120 --> 00:54:02,239 Speaker 1: know the book you should do next. And I said, 639 00:54:02,239 --> 00:54:05,000 Speaker 1: what is that? And she said Tracy Charlton. I said, 640 00:54:05,160 --> 00:54:08,120 Speaker 1: what are you talking about? And it ended up that 641 00:54:09,480 --> 00:54:13,640 Speaker 1: Tracy and my friend I was talking to went to 642 00:54:13,680 --> 00:54:17,560 Speaker 1: the same summer camp. Oh yes, and so even though 643 00:54:17,600 --> 00:54:22,160 Speaker 1: I had never met Tracy, I knew a lot of 644 00:54:22,200 --> 00:54:27,200 Speaker 1: her relatives. And then also my friend was one of 645 00:54:27,200 --> 00:54:31,239 Speaker 1: the mentors to Tracy. So when she told me to 646 00:54:31,320 --> 00:54:34,520 Speaker 1: do it, that just sort of like, Okay, I'm doing 647 00:54:34,560 --> 00:54:35,040 Speaker 1: this book. 648 00:54:35,280 --> 00:54:38,280 Speaker 2: Well that sounds like a great reason to do it. 649 00:54:38,280 --> 00:54:42,040 Speaker 1: It's funny because Celeste used to lie and say that 650 00:54:42,239 --> 00:54:46,040 Speaker 1: her kids went to the same summer camp so it 651 00:54:46,120 --> 00:54:51,279 Speaker 1: was just those weird kind of little things that kept 652 00:54:51,440 --> 00:54:55,400 Speaker 1: roping me into the book. Celeste would say to me, 653 00:54:56,560 --> 00:55:00,600 Speaker 1: I know you like Tracy Charlton, and she was. And 654 00:55:00,640 --> 00:55:04,600 Speaker 1: it wasn't just our summer camp experiences together. It was 655 00:55:04,640 --> 00:55:09,680 Speaker 1: out of all the murderers I have interviewed, Tracy was 656 00:55:09,760 --> 00:55:14,920 Speaker 1: the one person who took responsibility for her actions. And 657 00:55:14,960 --> 00:55:18,520 Speaker 1: when I would try to go into her background because 658 00:55:18,560 --> 00:55:24,719 Speaker 1: she had a really troubled childhood, Tracy would say, Uh, 659 00:55:24,760 --> 00:55:28,320 Speaker 1: don't go there, this is all on me. It's my fault, 660 00:55:29,440 --> 00:55:34,160 Speaker 1: where Celeste was the complete opposite, well not opposite in 661 00:55:34,440 --> 00:55:38,960 Speaker 1: that she didn't have a horrible childhood. It was horrendous. 662 00:55:39,840 --> 00:55:45,080 Speaker 1: But she will still blame things on her past or 663 00:55:45,360 --> 00:55:51,200 Speaker 1: anybody else but herself. She does not take responsibility. And 664 00:55:51,560 --> 00:55:57,040 Speaker 1: Celeste never could tell the truth. If she is being 665 00:55:57,200 --> 00:56:01,879 Speaker 1: caught in a lie, she will suddenly start crying, but 666 00:56:02,000 --> 00:56:06,480 Speaker 1: if you look at her, she's not really crying. She's 667 00:56:06,600 --> 00:56:11,319 Speaker 1: just put She's pulling down her eyelid and wiping a 668 00:56:11,440 --> 00:56:16,360 Speaker 1: tissue over her eye to make sure it gets red 669 00:56:16,480 --> 00:56:18,680 Speaker 1: so that she looks like she's crying. 670 00:56:18,880 --> 00:56:19,600 Speaker 2: Wow. 671 00:56:19,760 --> 00:56:24,239 Speaker 1: When I would ask the people around Celeste, what attracted 672 00:56:24,280 --> 00:56:30,799 Speaker 1: them to this lying, thieving, vindictive woman. I'd say, she 673 00:56:31,040 --> 00:56:35,840 Speaker 1: is so much fun. She is so funny, And even 674 00:56:35,920 --> 00:56:39,520 Speaker 1: with Tracy, I'm like, what did she see in her? 675 00:56:39,760 --> 00:56:43,440 Speaker 1: I just did not get it. I had watched her 676 00:56:43,520 --> 00:56:47,520 Speaker 1: testify and a hearing and where she'd do the fake 677 00:56:47,640 --> 00:56:51,200 Speaker 1: crying and the fake fainting to get out of trouble, 678 00:56:51,440 --> 00:56:55,120 Speaker 1: and you know, I just didn't get it until I 679 00:56:55,280 --> 00:56:59,440 Speaker 1: sat down with her in prison and interviewed her. And 680 00:56:59,520 --> 00:57:05,040 Speaker 1: she is charming, and she is funny, and she's a 681 00:57:05,040 --> 00:57:10,760 Speaker 1: little bit magnetic or whatever. And even though I could 682 00:57:10,880 --> 00:57:15,520 Speaker 1: spot the lies and knew what was going on, I 683 00:57:15,560 --> 00:57:17,920 Speaker 1: didn't want to leave the interview because I was having 684 00:57:17,960 --> 00:57:19,160 Speaker 1: so much fun with her. 685 00:57:19,240 --> 00:57:23,760 Speaker 2: Oh that's spooky, that's fascinating. I get it, though, Like 686 00:57:23,800 --> 00:57:26,920 Speaker 2: when someone is super charismatic, we will overlook a lot 687 00:57:27,000 --> 00:57:30,960 Speaker 2: to just keep being around them and being part of 688 00:57:30,960 --> 00:57:32,480 Speaker 2: the narrative they're creating. 689 00:57:32,880 --> 00:57:35,920 Speaker 1: I think that we all have done that at some 690 00:57:36,080 --> 00:57:41,680 Speaker 1: point in time, just not to that extent, because Tracy 691 00:57:41,760 --> 00:57:44,920 Speaker 1: Tarlton will say to this day, I cannot believe I 692 00:57:45,040 --> 00:57:50,520 Speaker 1: shot someone. I can't believe I did that. But she 693 00:57:50,920 --> 00:57:57,880 Speaker 1: was a lonely, mixed up yeah, mentally ill drug an 694 00:57:57,920 --> 00:58:04,160 Speaker 1: alcohol addicted person who desperately wanted to be loved and accepted. 695 00:58:05,600 --> 00:58:11,280 Speaker 1: And Celeste was good at faking people out and making 696 00:58:11,320 --> 00:58:13,880 Speaker 1: them believe what they wanted to believe. 697 00:58:14,080 --> 00:58:16,720 Speaker 2: Right, I mean, Tracy is such a sympathetic character, even 698 00:58:16,760 --> 00:58:20,280 Speaker 2: though like she did this horrible thing. What I don't 699 00:58:20,320 --> 00:58:24,880 Speaker 2: really get is what motivates someone like Celeste, Like Tercy's 700 00:58:24,880 --> 00:58:27,640 Speaker 2: really sympathetic to me, Like, I get it, I don't 701 00:58:27,680 --> 00:58:30,240 Speaker 2: get Celeste, Like, what do you think motivates her? 702 00:58:31,200 --> 00:58:38,680 Speaker 1: I think her childhood just screwed her up. Her father, 703 00:58:38,960 --> 00:58:43,720 Speaker 1: some people say, is an alcoholic or a drug addict. 704 00:58:43,760 --> 00:58:46,960 Speaker 1: I think mainly drug addict. I don't know if that's true, 705 00:58:47,400 --> 00:58:51,880 Speaker 1: but that's what I've been told. I have been told 706 00:58:52,440 --> 00:58:59,800 Speaker 1: by several people that he molested Celeste, and her mother 707 00:59:00,560 --> 00:59:05,360 Speaker 1: was literally insane. She went to one of her friend's 708 00:59:05,440 --> 00:59:09,320 Speaker 1: house and tried to stab her, and then she went 709 00:59:09,440 --> 00:59:13,520 Speaker 1: running down the streets niked banging on doors and stuff, 710 00:59:13,560 --> 00:59:19,520 Speaker 1: and she was hospitalized. And so Celeste never had any 711 00:59:19,680 --> 00:59:25,800 Speaker 1: role models to show her what sanity is like. And 712 00:59:26,080 --> 00:59:31,560 Speaker 1: I think that Celeste probably you know, is not exactly 713 00:59:31,720 --> 00:59:34,600 Speaker 1: right in the brain. Well, obviously if she wanted to 714 00:59:34,680 --> 00:59:39,640 Speaker 1: kill somebody, and you know, she told Tracy to be 715 00:59:39,800 --> 00:59:45,160 Speaker 1: sure and shoot Steve Beard in the gut and Tracy said, no, 716 00:59:46,480 --> 00:59:49,280 Speaker 1: I don't want to do that. He'll then linger and 717 00:59:49,320 --> 00:59:53,280 Speaker 1: she said, oh no, believe me. I know because I 718 00:59:53,400 --> 00:59:55,800 Speaker 1: read all these true crime books and I know what 719 00:59:55,880 --> 01:00:04,280 Speaker 1: will work. Well. Tracy grew up in Texas hunting and fishing, right, yeah, 720 01:00:04,360 --> 01:00:10,360 Speaker 1: so and he lingered, yeah, and it ended up costing 721 01:00:10,440 --> 01:00:12,560 Speaker 1: both of them, well, all three of them, and the 722 01:00:12,600 --> 01:00:17,400 Speaker 1: Beard family. It's just I don't know. I think about it, 723 01:00:17,440 --> 01:00:20,000 Speaker 1: and I just get so sad. 724 01:00:20,920 --> 01:00:23,560 Speaker 2: So I just had like a two part question left. 725 01:00:24,440 --> 01:00:27,880 Speaker 2: So Celeste was interested in true crime, as are we, 726 01:00:28,080 --> 01:00:30,919 Speaker 2: as are our listeners. And I'm sure you get asked 727 01:00:30,920 --> 01:00:33,520 Speaker 2: this all the time. I know I do. But why 728 01:00:34,240 --> 01:00:36,720 Speaker 2: is it such a fascinating genre and why is it 729 01:00:36,840 --> 01:00:39,400 Speaker 2: especially fascinating to women? Do you think? 730 01:00:39,760 --> 01:00:44,080 Speaker 1: Oh, g yeah, I think Celeste was interested in it 731 01:00:44,120 --> 01:00:49,360 Speaker 1: because she relates to her too much. But I think 732 01:00:49,440 --> 01:00:52,880 Speaker 1: a lot of people read it because they want to 733 01:00:52,920 --> 01:00:57,240 Speaker 1: know what makes people tick. And true crime writers have 734 01:00:57,280 --> 01:01:00,600 Speaker 1: a tendency to want to know what makes people and 735 01:01:00,680 --> 01:01:06,080 Speaker 1: how to prevent this from happening. Yeah, because One of 736 01:01:06,080 --> 01:01:10,000 Speaker 1: the things that I keep seeing over and over is 737 01:01:10,040 --> 01:01:14,480 Speaker 1: the mental health aspect of this. There is in a 738 01:01:14,560 --> 01:01:19,800 Speaker 1: lot of these cases, not just mental health, but sexual abuse, 739 01:01:20,760 --> 01:01:25,640 Speaker 1: alcohol abuse, drug abuse, emotional abuse. And I go back 740 01:01:25,680 --> 01:01:30,160 Speaker 1: in almost all of my true crime cases, I find 741 01:01:30,200 --> 01:01:34,680 Speaker 1: that there is some sort of abuse that has informed 742 01:01:35,400 --> 01:01:40,800 Speaker 1: the killer. And I think a lot of us are 743 01:01:40,920 --> 01:01:47,160 Speaker 1: trying to figure out why people do this because it's incomprehensible, 744 01:01:48,040 --> 01:01:51,200 Speaker 1: and I think that's kind of what we're searching for. 745 01:01:51,880 --> 01:01:55,280 Speaker 1: And unfortunately we can kind of relate to so much 746 01:01:55,280 --> 01:01:59,480 Speaker 1: of this. Yeah, Like when I was growing up, I 747 01:01:59,520 --> 01:02:02,920 Speaker 1: went on a church mission trip with my you know, 748 01:02:03,000 --> 01:02:05,240 Speaker 1: high school group, and I came back and I was 749 01:02:05,320 --> 01:02:08,920 Speaker 1: so mad at my mother because I said, everybody else 750 01:02:08,960 --> 01:02:12,160 Speaker 1: got letters from their family but not me. What didn't 751 01:02:12,160 --> 01:02:15,200 Speaker 1: you do this? And she said, let me tell you 752 01:02:15,240 --> 01:02:19,000 Speaker 1: what happened while you were gone. And it ended up 753 01:02:19,120 --> 01:02:22,560 Speaker 1: her best friend shot and killed her husband. Oh my gosh, 754 01:02:22,640 --> 01:02:26,600 Speaker 1: and you go, ah wow. To be honest with me, 755 01:02:26,840 --> 01:02:30,880 Speaker 1: I think, I'm I'm obsessed with death, be it natural 756 01:02:31,040 --> 01:02:36,640 Speaker 1: causes or what. So I'm kind of, I think, dealing 757 01:02:36,720 --> 01:02:41,080 Speaker 1: with death constantly to work through my issues, and I 758 01:02:41,240 --> 01:02:46,160 Speaker 1: kind of think sometimes that other people are too, like, 759 01:02:46,440 --> 01:02:49,919 Speaker 1: how did this woman or this man cope with this? 760 01:02:50,680 --> 01:02:52,920 Speaker 1: How did they come out on the other side? 761 01:02:53,960 --> 01:02:58,720 Speaker 2: Aim into that. Thanks again so much to Susie for 762 01:02:58,800 --> 01:03:02,120 Speaker 2: coming and sharing her in on the case. Stay tuned 763 01:03:02,160 --> 01:03:27,920 Speaker 2: for more conversations with her in the future. Join me 764 01:03:28,040 --> 01:03:30,800 Speaker 2: next week on the greatest true crime stories ever told 765 01:03:31,360 --> 01:03:33,840 Speaker 2: for a case with a very different woman at its center. 766 01:03:34,760 --> 01:03:38,240 Speaker 2: Penny Farmer, sister to a brother who went missing in 767 01:03:38,280 --> 01:03:41,720 Speaker 2: the seventies, only to be found decades later through a 768 01:03:41,840 --> 01:03:46,440 Speaker 2: very unorthodox method, in no small part thanks to Penny herself. 769 01:03:47,280 --> 01:03:49,760 Speaker 2: I'd also like to shout out a few key sources 770 01:03:49,800 --> 01:03:52,200 Speaker 2: that made it possible for me to tell this week's story. 771 01:03:52,760 --> 01:03:55,160 Speaker 2: A big thank you to Susie Spencer for her book 772 01:03:55,200 --> 01:04:00,800 Speaker 2: The Fortune Hunter. The documentary show snapped ABC News in 773 01:04:00,880 --> 01:04:05,000 Speaker 2: many local Austin, Texas news sources, not all of which 774 01:04:05,040 --> 01:04:08,800 Speaker 2: were part of Steve Beard's empire. For more information about 775 01:04:08,800 --> 01:04:11,040 Speaker 2: this case and the others we cover on the show, 776 01:04:11,480 --> 01:04:15,840 Speaker 2: visit Diversion Audio dot com. Sign up for Diversion's newsletter 777 01:04:15,880 --> 01:04:18,240 Speaker 2: and be among the first to hear about our special 778 01:04:18,280 --> 01:04:20,800 Speaker 2: behind the scenes features with the hosts and actors from 779 01:04:20,840 --> 01:04:24,480 Speaker 2: diversions podcasts, more shows you'll love from Diversion and other 780 01:04:24,600 --> 01:04:28,560 Speaker 2: exclusive tidbits you can't get anywhere else. That's Diversion Audio 781 01:04:28,760 --> 01:04:32,040 Speaker 2: dot com to sign up for our newsletter. The Greatest 782 01:04:32,080 --> 01:04:35,920 Speaker 2: True Crime Stories Ever Told is a production of Diversion Audio. 783 01:04:36,840 --> 01:04:39,919 Speaker 2: I am your host, Mary Kay McBrier and I wrote 784 01:04:39,960 --> 01:04:45,640 Speaker 2: this episode. Our editorial director is Nora Battel. Our show 785 01:04:45,720 --> 01:04:49,880 Speaker 2: is produced and directed by Mark Francis and Antonio Enriquez. 786 01:04:51,120 --> 01:04:55,800 Speaker 2: Our development team is Emma Dmouth and Jacob Bronstein. Theme 787 01:04:55,880 --> 01:05:02,440 Speaker 2: music by Tyler Cash. Executive producers Jacob Bronstein, Mark Francis, 788 01:05:02,880 --> 01:05:03,800 Speaker 2: and Scott Waxman. 789 01:05:12,760 --> 01:05:13,880 Speaker 1: Diversion Audio 790 01:05:17,360 --> 01:05:17,400 Speaker 2: H