Deborah Roberts (0:00)

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Tonight on 20 20, we're in Texas for one of the trickiest possible love triangles we've ever covered. And like many of them, it ends with a dead body. Was she trying to kill the two of you? She was trying to get us in the ground for sure. I ran into Celeste and I said, what's wrong? And she says, well, Steve and I are getting divorced. And I said, you just got marri. Steve was at wit's end with Celeste. She was going through money like crazy. There was a time she pointed a gun to your head. She started like, just like waving it around, you know, like everybody was fair game. You were depressed. I was very depressed. And I felt like I was losing everything and I just wanted to die. Faint in love. She was completely off the rails. She would call and leave me messages saying, I'm gonna make you pay for this. In every single. I knew something was wrong, but I didn't know what. The intruder went in the house. Hey, man, look. How are you? What is going on there? My gut just jumped out of my stomach. My whole world just ended right there. And then the betrayals started. Oh, painted love. I'm here in Austin, Texas, for a twisted tale of deceit that played out more than 20 years ago. One woman's fairytale turned into betrayal and murder in a case that tore apart an entire family. And it all began with a fateful meeting right here at the Austin Country Club. Austin Country Club is old guard Texas. It was founded in the late 1800s, and it's considered to be quite prestigious to belong there. The initiation fee at Austin Country Club is up over $125,000. Now, the Austin Country Club was a place where prominent, wealthy members of the community would go. And one of its members was a man named Stephen Beard, a very successful TV executive. One of the kindest, most generous, funny, loving people I've. And that is the truth. One evening at the club, Steve Beard meets a young, beautiful waitress named Celeste Johnson, and they strike up a friendship. Celeste was enchanted with his intelligence to begin with. Steve was very gregarious, and he just made me feel safe, and he liked that. He made me feel safe. Celeste was beautiful and smart, and you never knew quite what Celeste was going to do. And there's something rather alluring about that. The story of Celeste Beard is one of the wildest stories we've covered from beginning to end. My name is Melissa. My name is Mandy. The name of our podcast is Moms and Murder. This story is even more appalling than you could possibly imagine. There are numerous victims in this story. I think people find the Celeste Beard story fascinating because there are so many different elements to it, and there's more twists and turns around every page of this story. Celeste Johnson was born in the California town of culver City on February 13, 1963. She was adopted by Edwin and Nancy Johnson almost immediately. She enjoyed swimming. She loved the animals in kindergarten. In fact, she brought home Thumper, the bunny, and she brought home Parakeet. I was supposed to take him back to school after the summer vacation, but we always kept him. But her mother says Celeste became troubled as an adolescent, and she sought help for her. I could tell Celeste was traumatized. She never really revealed any of the stuff that was going on. Celeste marries Craig Bratcher when she was 17 years old, but she was pregnant at the time. She said she loved Craig and she wanted her children to have a father. The twins were three months early, and back then, you couldn't touch them. So I feel like we never really bonded. And early in the marriage, Craig Bratcher decides to up and relocate the family to Washington state without consulting Celeste. Celeste has always wanted to have a whole family, the father, the mother, and the children together. So after a while, she quit her job and followed him to the state of Washington. The move to Washington did not sit well with Celeste. It was hard for her to adjust. They were divorced fairly quickly. In 1988, Celeste moves to Phoenix and marries another man. But that marriage also quickly falls apart. I went from one man to another because I was always looking for somebody to bring me happiness. You could never get that happiness when I did find a good man. I would leave them because I just figured I would ruin everything. She was working as a waitress and she met Jimmy Martinez. At 28, Celeste was marrying for the third time. She was crazy about Jimmy and Jimmy got a job in Austin. At some point, Jennifer decides she wants to live with her father. It leaves Christina alone with her mother, and Jennifer's now in another state. Growing up with Celeste was very unstable. There were times where we would get dropped off in foster home and not even understand what had happened. She had her moments where she was nice, you know, but you don't know what's going to happen. I was always in fight or flight mode. She was not a homemaker. She was not a baker or a cooker or a cleaner. She was a shopper. 1993 is a monumental year for Celeste. At the time she was working that job as a waitress at the Austin Country Club. She was rubbing shoulders with people who had millions of dollars and she saw how they lived. The dining room manager just adored her. He'd say things like, I wish I had two dozen of these, you know, referring to Celeste. And she meets a man, a member, Steven Beard, who's going to change her life. For everything Celeste had been through in her life, looking at Steven Beard, he represented what she was looking for. Stability, wealth, someone to take care of her. When they met, Steve was 69 years old and Celeste was 30 years old. Within two weeks, Steven asked Celeste out on their first date and she said yes. Steve told people that he really wanted a younger woman that wanted him for his money so that he could show her the world. Soon Celeste divorces Jimmy Martinez, her third husband. Did the family seem happy? Steve provided money and a lifestyle that Celeste wanted. It seems that Celeste has found what she's looking for in Steven Beard. But is her erratic, unpredictable behavior going to hurt this relationship too? So she got a gun and then she started like, just like waving it around, you know, like. And then she would, you know, just like. It was like everybody was fair game in the room. Recorded live from Austin, Texas, it's Austin City Linux. Austin City Limits was a very prestigious gig. Its stage has played host to the who's who, country, western, Southern rock and roll music, and it continued to be a popular cult program for many years. This all coincided with the rise of the tech boom that happened where Austin became Texas version of Silicon Valley and wealth was coming to Austin. People are becoming millionaires and one of them is Steve Be Beard, a dashing young advertising executive back then that all the television stations Dealt with. Stephen was known to be super funny, super generous. He was a teddy bear, open and honest. Steven Beard grew up without having a lot of money. He cared about people, but he also had spent quite a bit of his time amassing his fortune. One of his first jobs was at Neiman Marcus, where he eventually meets his wife, Elise. She was a model for Neiman's, and they were so close, the two of them. Steve and Elise were married for more than 40 years, and together they had three children, Steve Jr. Paul and Becky. Steve was really hands on as a dad. We had a ranch, and he loved on the weekends to go and hang out and ride horses and go fishing. He really worked hard, started at the bottom, was able to develop a very successful advertising business. Stephen started a cable station in the Austin area that he eventually was able to sell, and he made millions of dollars overnight. He had made a fortune for himself and for his family. How did you meet Steven Beard? He was a member of Austin Country Club, where my husband and I belonged, and that's how I knew Steve. Elise came down with cancer, and it broke Steve's heart, and he took such good care of her. He put her lipstick on in the morning. After Elise died, Steve began frequenting the club most evenings. He was living alone and he was incredibly lonely, so he liked talking to people, and he always sat at a table near the window by himself. Celeste was one of the waitresses. Steve had been a businessman all of his life, and he believed that he could size a person up. Of course, he had never quite met anybody like Celeste before. Steve moves Celeste into his mansion quickly. When his friends wonder who she is, Steve tells them Celeste is working for him. I said, tell me about your new girlfriend. He goes, house manager, damn it. House manager. He says, you know, somebody just to run the house. There were several of us. The woman that tried to help Celeste, integrate her into the club. There were other women there that had been longtime friends of Elise's that were pretty upset about it, to say the least. Steve and Celeste loved each other. It was what he needed at the time. Celeste was so energetic. She livened up his life. I'm sure from Steve's perspective, the way to make it look as normal as possible is just go ahead and marry her. There may have been these red flags, but Stephen wasn't looking at them because of the way that she made him feel. Stephen may have been impulsive in his relationship with Celeste, but he was careful about his money. When Celeste and Steve got married, Steve promised her a million dollars. But if Their marriage were to end in divorce. She would then only get 500,000. At the point that Celeste and Steven meet, she has her twin daughters, Jennifer and Christina. Jennifer is living back in Washington with their dad, Craig and Christina is living with Celeste. After their natural father has died, Celeste asked Stephen to adopt the twins. Even though they're 17 years old, they adored Steve. He was more than just a father figure. Do you know why he adopted you? Well, so that's because of Celeste, I guess. He wanted to help her become a family. She told us to ask him to adopt us. We said, hey, we don't have a dad. We would love for you to be our dad. She wanted them to have a share of the money so that they would not have the problems that she had being so destitute of money. She felt men get more money and ladies need protection. It happened so quick, too. His natural kids were grown and out of the house. And here's some teenage kids now. And he got to do his Wednesday hamburgers that he used to do with his old kids and pool parties and trips. Jennifer especially. She and Steve would go for breakfast on Saturday mornings. They had a special bond. Whenever we'd leave, he'd say, go have f u n. Yeah, he never said fun. Just go have f u n. At the time that Steve built that house off Toro Canyon and it was a very modern home. The master bedroom suite was on one wing and then there was another wing that were girls rooms. And for a while everyone was happy and Celeste achieved the life she wanted. But settled and secure, as it turns out, is not Celeste's nature. In early 1999, Steve was at Woods End with Celeste. She was going through money like crazy. He gave her the $500,000 that she was entitled to in the prenup. Wanted to show her how to build a fortune for herself as she had spent all of it and couldn't tell him where it had gone. How much were you spending a month? We were supposed to live on 35,000amonth, but it never worked out that way. It was less or more. Oh, more. Much more. She would get romantic when she was spending a lot of money. She'd take Christina and I in the middle of the night to shop because she needed to go buy towels. It was crazy. Anything that she wanted, she got. New Cadillac every year, beautiful jewelry. They took a lot of very nice trips. Always first class. Celeste had spent the entire $500,000 that was allotted in their prenuptial agreement. Celeste then allegedly started taking jewelry from the Steven's safety deposit box and he blew up. As would be understandable, she had plenty of jewelry of her own. Stephen threatens to divorce her and when this happens, she says, I'm going to take my own life. And so it starts to kind of snowball from there. Celeste knows that after spending this $500,000, if this marriage ends in divorce, it's over for her. She has nothing at this point. It's four years into the marriage and it's in fact in a very precarious position. And Celeste meets someone who is going to change the course of her marriage to Steven forever. This episode is brought to you by Shopify. Upgrade your business with Shopify, home of the number one checkout on the planet. Shop pay boosts conversions up to 50%, meaning fewer carts going abandoned and more sales going cha ching. So if you're into growing your business, get a commerce platform that's ready to sell wherever your customers are. Visit shopify.com to upgrade your selling today at T Mobile we'll give you four free 5G phones and four lines for only $25 per line per month with eligible trade ins. And no, it's not a contest. It's every day for a limited time. Everyone's a winner on America's largest 5G network. Minimum of 4 lines for 25 per line per month with autopay discount using debit or bank account. $5 more per line without autopay. Up to $830 off each phone via 24 monthly bill credits plus taxes, fees and $10 device connection charge for well qualified customers. Contact us before canceling entire account to continue bill credits or credit stop and balance on required finance agreement too bill credits and if you pay UP devices early ct mobile.com at this point, it's 1999, four years into her marriage with Steven Beard, and Celeste knows the marriage is in trouble. It seems like Celeste started having this downward spiral. She felt that her days were numbered, so she had to stay in his good graces. Steve had a lot of money, but it was protected. It was in a trust. I ran into Celeste and the girls coming out of the country club and I said, what's wrong? And she says, well, Steve and I are getting divorced. And I said, you just got married? And she says, well, it's all my fault. You were depressed. I was very depressed and I felt like I was losing everything and I just wanted to die. In early 1999, Celeste threatened to commit suicide. There was a she pointed a gun to your head and you had to call 91 1? Yeah. So she got a gun and then she started, like, just like waving it around, you know, like. And then she would, you know, just like. It was like everybody was fair game in the room. And it was myself and Steve. Steve and her. I think her mental health problems created a lot of issues for her, both early in her life and during this time period as well. They were real, you know, it wasn't until she married Steven Beard that she really had access to the mental health care that she needed. Celeste was voluntarily admitted to St. David's Medical center for Mental Health in Austin. And how often did you see her or talk to her when she was. Every day. Right. I probably went multiple times because she would ask me to do things for her. One of the first mornings Celeste was there, she had the girls bring donuts and they were handing them out to the patients. Who did she meet when she was in that mental facility? Tracy. Tracy Tarlton? Yeah. Tracy is a resident at the same time as Celeste. Tracy's a native Texan who grew up in a fairly upper middle class family. She was a gay woman. She was the manager of the Book People, the largest independent bookstore in Austin. If you were looking for unique books in Austin, you went to Book People. It's a prestigious place. The fact that Tracy was a manager of it says a lot about her. Tracy was once interviewed about the popular store on C Span. We try to choose books that may not have as much support from a publishing house as some other books, but that have a great deal of merit. She could be sometimes difficult to work with, but largely overall, she was a great boss. Tracy, she was in St. David because she was. Had had a really tough time. They were able to develop a relationship. A lot of it was based on childhood trauma. We would go outside and smoke. I found out about her trauma that kind of drew me to her. So the nature of Tracy and Celeste's relationship is something that continues to confuse people to this day because one of them says it was a romantic relationship and the other one says they were just very, very good friends. Tracy is a trusting, humble. She was completely under the spell of Celeste. Deeply in love on the level of a schoolgirl crush. Once they're out of St. David's Pavilion, they continued their friendship and they would sometimes meet several times a week in the evenings. They fell in love with each other and had a relationship beginning in the hospital. They continued. People began to see Celeste showing up at Book People going upstairs to Tracy's office. From my perception, they were definitely together. There was a physical Closeness. At one point, Celeste and Tracy sat me down at Tracy's house, and Tracy told me they were a couple, and Celeste didn't deny it. According to the twins, Celeste even flaunted her relationship with Tracy in front of Stephen. Stephen initiated hamburger night, then Wednesdays, when he would barbecue hamburgers for twins and their friends. He loved to cook. He loved to entertain. And one Wednesday, Celeste invited Tracy over for it. Steve was out cooking. The women were out on the patio, and when he walked back, he saw Tracy kissing Celeste. Steve became irate and ordered her to leave. She was never welcome there again. I remember Celeste thinking it wasn't a big deal. It was a big scene in front of all of our friends. It wasn't romantic. You never kissed her or she kissed you? No, she tried to kiss me. After that barbecue, Stephen was really upset, and he made it clear to Celeste that he wanted a divorce. Meanwhile, Celeste was lying to Tracy, falsely portraying Steve as a violent and abusive drunk. Traci was made to believe that Stephen Beard was a monster, that he was emotionally and physically abusive towards Celeste, and that Celeste felt trapped and that she was afraid for her life. She's telling Tracy really awful stories about how terrible Stephen is to her and saying she has to get out of this marriage. From Tracy's point of view, Celeste wanted Steve dead because of his horrific abuse of her, and they could lead a life together if only they could escape this dominating, cruel man. It's heartbreaking to think about Celeste saying that Steve was an abuser because he was just the opposite. As they have other times in the past, the two reconciled. It's a pattern. And then there was this big trip planned to Europe, and they were going to be gone five or six weeks, I believe. And Celeste allegedly tells Tracy that if she has to go on this trip with Steve, she will die. It'll be that bad. She thought she was helping out this woman that she loved. It's early morning, October 2, 1999. Former TV executive Steve Beard is catching some sleep before leaving on a big trip to Europe with his wife Celeste. But in a flash, Steve's life changes forever. Hello? Hello. Do you need an ambulance? I need an ambulance. What is going on there? My gut just jumped out of my stomach. Out of here. They blew out? Yeah, they blew out of my stomach. It was a really strange call. The caller in the 911 couldn't say what had happened to him, but he was in an extreme emergency. Steve is not in the best of health. He requires a special breathing machine at his bedside to Help him sleep at night. Are you breathing okay? I've got oxygen on. Okay. They're already on the way. Sergeant Truitt began barreling through the darkness as I was responding to the call. I'm on Westlake Drive, which is a narrow, curvy roadway. The streets were quiet that night. He was in a hurry. He had to get there fast. Beautiful home. It was a very nice, majestic home. Knock. No answer at the door or anything like that. I was woken up in the middle of the night by Celeste kind of running in my room, saying, there's somebody at the door. There's somebody at the door. It was the police. Yeah, they're like, it's the police. We're trying to get in. As we entered the bedroom and began talking with Mr. Beard, there wasn't a really visible crime scene or anything like that. You know, he did have his hands clenched over his stomach, and, you know, that's all he could say is, my guts have come out of my stomach. This was a man who needed immediate medical attention, and they needed to act quickly if he was going to survive. Steve was taken by helicopter to Brackenridge Hospital. I went on to continue investigating the scene. One of my deputies exited the bedroom where Stephen Beard was and signaled to me that he needed to talk to me. He informed me that a shotgun shell had been found with Mr. Beard. So at that point, this shifted gears 180 degrees. We were having a crime scene. This was going to be a big deal. Sergeant Truitt discovers that the intruder entered through the front door, which was unlocked. And as I turned around, was going back into the door. A lady walks up from my right. She was wondering who I was and why I was in her house. I explained to her that I was with the sheriff's office, and we had received a 911 call there with. With someone needing help. And that was his wife, Celeste. Yes, this was his wife, Celeste. We later identified as Celeste. Shortly after her and I started talking, Christina walked up from the same direction. Detectives also learn that at the time the intruder is entering the house, Jennifer is not even there. She's at the lake house. And Celeste is sleeping in Christina's room in another part of the house. They had been down in the wing where the girls usually sleep. They each have bedrooms down there. And for some reason, Celeste went back there to sleep. The detectives also learned that it appeared the intruder went in the house and made a beeline for the master bedroom, where Steven Beard was sleeping alone in bed. Stood at the foot of the bed, and Fired one shot into him. No one claimed to hear a noise. I mean, it's a big house. The hallway was extremely long, had a corner in it. But how could you not hear a gunshot? But, hey, I'm a heavy sleeper. Maybe I would sleep through it. I don't know. Celeste seems to have no idea what's happened, Steve. But all Sergeant Truitt really knows at that point is that it was Steve himself who called 911 for help. So we received a 911 call of someone needing help, and she kind of went hysterical. She was kind of manic and like, oh, my God, what's wrong with my husband? Don't die. Like, but no tears. Very loud and emotional, but didn't really seem real. She was just odd. So as the investigation progressed, one of the names that continued to come up was Tracy Tarleton, who witnesses had described to the investigators as a very close friend of Celeste and someone that the investigators ought to be talking to. After getting to the hospital and talking to the detectives, they asked me, who do I believe shot my father? And I said, my mom doesn't want me to mention this, but I'm not supposed to say. Tracey Tarleton. The same day after Steve was shot, police went to Tracy's house. They knocked on the door, and Tracy let them in. At the house. They asked her if she had a shotgun. And she walks him over to the closet. She shows it to him, and they could smell the cleaning fluid. So they took the shotgun with them to be tested. The shell casing that was found in Stephen Beard's bedroom was from a 20 gauge shotgun. 20 gauge shotgun is not that commonly used of a shotgun. Days later, when the shotgun was linked to the shotgun shell found in the room, Tracy was charged with attempted murder with shooting Steve. I remember my editor coming up to me and assigning me to do the story on Tracy Tarleton's arrest. And there were so many moving parts to this case, it was difficult, difficult to wrap your mind around. Months after Tracy's arrest, Steve Beard is finally released from the hospital. But he's not out of the woods yet. Even before the shooting, Stephen Beard was not in the greatest physical health, and his recovery was difficult, spending three months in the hospital with him. At one point, we got him a puppy, and we snuck it in. He did go home to begin trying to make his full recovery, but he required a lot of care, and Celeste was the person overseeing all of that care. When I got him home, he couldn't walk. He was still in the wheelchair. It took a long time to get him into the house and into bed. I knew something was, but I didn't know what. So I told him, I'm having you admitted back in the hospital. On our way to the hospital, I just knew. I said, honey, this is not going to work. You're not well. Something is wrong. And he was crying all the way to the hospital. And it just broke my heart because he was saying, please. He died on the third day. I was inconsolable. I was beside myself because I did not see that coming. My whole world just ended right there. And then the betrayals started. And soon, with the help of a secret recording, police will turn their scrutiny on Celeste. I do not appreciate you venting into my business. At T Mobile, we'll give you four free 5G phones and four lines for only $25 per line per month with eligible trade ins. And no, it's not a contest. It's every day for a limited time. Everyone's a winner on America's largest 5G network. Minimum of 4 lines for 25 per line per month with autopay discount using debit or bank account. $5 more per line without autopay. Up to 830 off each phone via 24 monthly bill credits plus taxes, fees and $10 device connection charge for well qualified customers. Contact us before canceling entire account to continue build credits or credit stop and balance on required finance agreement to bill credits and if you pay UP devices early ct mobile.com if you love your phone but not your carrier, just switch to T Mobile. You can keep your phone, keep your number and we'll help pay it off up to $800 per line. You can also use our savings calculator to compare our plans and streaming benefits against Verizon and AT&T. So switch and keep your phone, keep your number and keep more of your moolah. @t mobile.com up to 4 lines via virtual prepaid card. Allow 15 days qualifying unlock device credit service port in 90 plus days with device intelligible carrier and timely redemption required. Card has no cash access and expires in six months. Three and a half months after Stephen Beard was shot, he died. Friends, we are gathered here as we celebrate the life of Steve Beard. Steve's funeral is held in an Austin mausoleum in January of 2000. Any of you who knew Steve knew that wherever Steve went when he left, it was better than when he got there. What was your reaction when he passed away? I was inconsolable. They had to shoot me up with Halidol. Right through my jeans. I was beside myself. I did not see that coming. And how were you feeling? Sad. Very sad. After an investigation, the charges against Traci are elevated to murder. Meanwhile, Celeste goes on with her life, spending Steve's money. Celeste claimed that her odd behavior was because she was grieving, that it didn't strike most of the people around her as being that type of grief. And how did she act after he passed away? She was giving away his clothes right off the bat, practically packing up the house and, like, partying, going to the bars every night. She was completely off the rails. After Steve died, Celeste started going on another spending spree. And her attorney at the time said, hey, you gotta rein this in. I think you should go back into the mental hospital. Celeste agrees to check herself into Timberline for some psychiatric care. Meanwhile, her daughters are just trying to get their lives back to normal. She's in the mental hospital. She's calling me all the time. I was in charge of. Of trying to rein in her finances. A lot of money started going missing. One of the things that Christina discovers is that Celeste is making large payments of money, thousands of dollars, to her assistant, Donna Goodson. I was wondering why she was, like, getting, like, thousands and thousands of dollars all the time. And I'm like, what are you doing? And she wouldn't answer it. She kept dodging those questions. And then I was like, forget it. I'm just gonna call Donna and find out what's going on. And Celeste got very defensive and pretty much told her she needed to back off and stop this line of questioning and that if she didn't leave her alone, there would be consequences. Celeste wants Kristina to come to the hospital to get her, but Kristina won't do it. Instead, Jennifer drives to the hospital, and Celeste is livid. Celeste is in the front seat just yelling and screaming about calling her the B word and how she's gonna pay for a lot of stuff. And my confusion is I have no idea what Celeste is so mad about, but we're driving back to Austin to go confront Chris, basically. It was awesome. Awful. Awful. She would call and leave me messages saying, I'm gonna make you pay for this in every single way. And in that car ride down you guys said that, she was graphically describing, like, how she was gonna make me pay. Oh, 100,000 different ways Kristin was gonna pay. Jennifer drops Celeste off at home. The twins are not living with their mother anymore, and they don't want her to know where they're living. They're getting a little scared of her. You better get your ass home tonight. Do you understand that? Because if you don't, I will lock you out of the house. She was kind of, you know, saying psychological horrible stuff. So I just started taping our conversations when they would get out of hand. There might have been a few times like I tape recorded the conversation to hear back. But there's only one that I really remember actually taping. And it changed my life. And it changed her life too, this conversation. She had no idea I was recording her. You are not going to run my life. Do you understand that? You're a 19 year old acting like a 12 year old. Even though I'm acting like a 12 year old. How am I acting like a 12 year old on the tapes? She was histrionic. It was difficult to think that any mother would talk to a child that way. Don't. You ain't doing what you want to do. I was, you little bitch. I was sick. And I knew how I feel like this. Taking this guy on my drug. Bitch, you know, she's like, well, you've messed things up for me, blah, blah, blah. Starts getting panicked. She kept saying, Donna has something on me. That's why I'm paying her. I just kept pushing. What does Donna have on you? I did not appreciate you spending my business, reacting done. And when you came home, I was going to tell you exactly why Donna had on you. What does she have? I hired the name help her. I was scared for my life. It was super clear to me that she had asked Tracy to kill Steve. But soon there will be allegations that the girls are setting up their own mother. Is that tape the original recording? In this particular, particular case, there is a possibility to be edited. There's a murder of a wealthy businessman. There's lies, deceit. There's everything. I need an ambulance. Hurry. What is going on there? I got to just jump down my stomach. Tracy is completely under the spell of Celeste. The story she tells the prosecutor is that Celeste was the one who planned Steve's murder. She says, oh, man, he's gonna die soon. But not soon enough. And I'm just gonna help him along where I can. I never asked her to do anything to Steven. You never told Traci to do this to save Steve? Never. She had Tracy shoot Steve. It was real. She did it. What do you think was the most important part of your testimony? The tape. The tape on the tape you heard threatening to kill Tracy. That's not what the whole tape said. Who are those girls? I thought they were my best Friends, if they say she's innocent, she's definitely gonna kill me. Stephen Beard was a very wealthy TV executive in Austin, Texas, who married a woman who was a waitress at his country club named Celeste. On October 2, 1999, there is a call to 911 from Steven Beard. What happened is that an intruder broke into his house, shot him in the stomach, and he would die months later. It wasn't much of a mystery. It didn't take them very long to trace the weapon back to a shooter, Tracey Tarleton. The reason that Tracy was looked at really heavily is because of the relationship that she was having with Celeste. There's talk that Tracy and Celeste were having an affair. Could Celeste somehow be behind the shooting? That's a big question until Celeste's daughters record a sensational phone call with their mom. You think I did that because I wanted to do that? On that tape, she says, I hired somebody to kill Tracy Tarlton. And that moment changes everything. Hearing that sealed it for me. Like any sort of doubt that I ever had that Celeste was involved with our father's murder. I don't have any more. Their realization, if she's willing to kill Tracy, who knows so much? What if they're next? Was she trying to kill the two of you? Yeah. I think she was trying to get us in the ground for sure. It felt real. It felt so real that we went into a deep hiding. Celeste tells people that the girls have turned on her. She seems concerned about what they're doing and who they're talking to. Jennifer and Christina claim that you were trying to kill Tracy and maybe them too. That's a lie. Despite that tape, Celeste denies trying to kill Tracy. And she says the truth is her daughters aren't really afraid of her. They're simply after Steve's money. Celeste considered all of the money that Steve had to be hers, and she wanted it all. And in her eyes, them turning against her is their way of securing their own financial future. Yes, they did try to get the money. I think they even felt that Steve wanted them to have it. We had no motive for his money at all. We just wanted to be safe. There was some sort of fighting going on regarding Steve Beard's estate. Steve Beard's death resulted in a protracted fight. His biological children and the children he adopted with Celeste. That fight ended up in civil court. They filed to divest Celeste of anything that she would have gotten pursuant to the will or a trust that Stephen had set up. So if Celeste doesn't get it, it gets split up among the five. In the end, after three days of testimony, the judge rules that Celeste will remain the beneficiary of Steve's trust and his money. And the girls, they're not in control of anything. With the judge's decision, she's going on with her life. But it did raise a few eyebrows. What she soon did. Celeste started partying and dating, and she was bringing this same guy around, which I thought was weird because it was maybe a month after Steve had died. Celeste met Cole Johnson. I think she was eager to remarry because of the lesbian stigma of Tracy. So the next best thing was to marry a bartender. I didn't want to be alone. He was a good guy. He was honest, and he was my friend. While Celeste is falling in love and starting this new marriage, she has pretty much thrown Tracy by the wayside. The thinking is that Tracy is the would be killer acting alone. At that point in time, Tracy's not doing anything to dispel that notion. Once it became clear that Celeste got remarried, it was very crystal clear to Tracy that she was just being used. Suddenly, Tracy starts to think that maybe she's been played. Tracy says nothing until shortly before she's supposed to go on trial for murder. And at the, at that point, she says to her lawyer, you know, I want to talk to the district attorney. I want to tell them everything. Tracy turned on you after that. She said she wasn't going to rot in prison while I'm married to somebody else. She loved you. I guess I wouldn't call that love. And she went on to really sing like a bird. The story she tells the prosecutor is that Celeste was the one who planned Steve's murder. She and Celeste were not only friends, but they were lovers. And that Celeste had convinced her that her husband Stephen was so abusive and the only way she could get out of this relationship was to have Stephen killed. She was the accomplice to Celeste plan. Celeste arranged how to get in what would be unlocked where he was located. She followed the plan and shot him with the shotgun. What Tracy has revealed is really shocking. Prosecutors know they'll never be able to prove it without Tracy's testimony. So what do they do? They make a plea bargain with her. She was looking at a very long, very long jail sentence. And she cut a deal, plain and simple. She was going to get a 20 year sentence and be able to apply for parole 10 years after she was in prison. When did you find out Tracy was implicating you? March 28, the day I was arrested. Celeste is actually charged With Steven Beard's murder, Tracy is going to be really the number one prosecution witness in Celeste's trial. But when Tracy finally does take the stand, Celeste's lawyer is going to try to convince the jury she's delusional. Tracy Tarleton can't be believed because she's a crazy woman. There was a lot of public attention to this trial. There's a lesbian affair. There's a murder of a wealthy businessman. There's lies, deceit. There's everything. ABC News covered the story. This is prime Time Thursday with Diane Sawyer and Charles Gibson. We're going to begin with a murder mystery that was a Talk of Texas. ABC's PrimeTime was at the trial from start to finish. Celeste is facing a murder charge and injury to the elderly. Both are possible life sentences. Somebody who has sex for money, there's a word for that. And money is what this whole case is about. The prosecutors are Alison Wetzel and Gary Cobb, veteran, experienced trial attorneys. It is said in the Bible that those who desire to be rich fall into temptation. They tell the jury, Celeste Beard is afraid she will lose millions if her husband Steve divorces her. So she decides to kill him. That isn't unheard of. The lesbian lover killed her husband. That's so bizarre. But getting her alleged lover, Tracy Tarlton, to do it for her, now, that is unusual, and it was a factor in the public interest. Tracy Tarleton killed Stephen Beard on her own for her own selfish reason. And then defending Celeste beard was Dick DeGuerin, who is a legend in Texas legal circles. This trial is almost 20 years old now. I think about it quite frequently. Ms. Tarleton, please stand, raise your right hand and be sworn in by the court. And the main drama of the case was taken in place. Tracey Tarleton is. When Tracy takes the stand, did there ever develop any kind of relationship between y'all that was more than just a platonic friendship? Yes, it did. She was flirtatious from the first time that I met her. Whether they believed her or not was just key. At some point, you said that y'all began this physical relationship that involved kissing and fondling. That's right. Once we were outpatients, we explored that sexual relationship much more fully. If you listen to what Tracy has to say about the relationship she had with Celeste, you would definitely be led to believe that it was serious, very intimate, and very passionate. I felt like. I mean, I loved her, and I believed that she loved me. She spent a lot of time letting me know that she did. She had to pretend to be in a relationship with her to get what she wanted. And what Celeste wanted, according to Tracy's testimony, was to harm Steve. She said, he's an old man. He's going to die soon, but not soon enough, and I'm just going to help him along wherever I can. She looked very credible. Matter of fact, she knew all of these details that no one else really did. But some of the things she claimed to know turned out to be lies she was told by Celeste. You know, she also talked about how he treated her and how he mistreated her and treated her so poorly and badly. My husband is this evil, terrible person that he is emotionally abusive, that he's going to drive me to commit suicide. And Traci believed all those things. She felt trapped by this man who was slowly killing her so she couldn't get out from under him, psychologically or emotionally. And I think she saw in Tracy someone who she learned a way to manipulate. She wanted me to shoot him at Toro Canyon with my shotgun. So you agreed to do it? I agreed to do it. I think that Tracy expected she would spend some time in prison and be reunited with Celeste and live happily ever after. It's a compelling and very chilling story. But now comes the defense telling the jury, don't believe any of it. It's either delusions or it's fabrication of or its lies or its fantasies, but it's not the truth. I never asked her to do anything to Stephen. You never told Tracy to do this? To shoot Steve? Never. I opened the door once. How were you carrying the gun? Like you carrying it now? No, I was probably carrying it like this. There was no doubt that she was the person that shot Stephen Beard. Now, why she shot him was up in the air. I walked down to the end of the bed. I saw him, and I pulled up and I shot him. DeGuerin really laid into Traci and tried to make her as an unreliable witness because of her mental health issues. But you were being delusional about that, weren't you? No, sir. It's something that would not happen in this day and age. But. But back a few years ago, it's something, unfortunately, that was used against Tracy in court. Actually, it was what was in your head? No, sir. Your delusional head? No, sir. You could have very well imagined that Celeste was reciprocal in her attraction to you. She did see things that were not real. That's true. I didn't pull any punches with her. DeGuerian kept painting Tracy as this delusional woman, asking about things she had written in her diary. You recognize this as a journal? Were you truthful with yourself in your journals? As far as I could be, I was truthful with myself, I would imagine, yes. These are your own internal conversations with yourself. You put your thoughts down. It's a real window into a person's head, heart, soul. All right, we'll read it together. Celeste has decided to leave me. In it, she revealed how disappointed she was with Celeste not consummating whatever relationship Tracy wanted. Is there a single journal entry which you say, it finally happened, we finally had sex. No, But Tracy held up. She hung in there. She didn't become argumentative. In your mind, you blamed it on Steve, didn't you? Yes. You're telling your therapist that your problems would be solved if Steve Beard met with an untimely death. Yes. And from this vantage point, it looks very, very serious. She shot Stephen Beard, hoping to kill him and get him out of the way so she could have Celeste to herself. The real reason you're testifying is because you got a sweetheart deal. So DeGuerin's trying to drive home the point that everything Tracy is doing is really to save herself. She got a sweetheart deal. She's going to say anything. You wouldn't have testified without that deal, would you? Yes, sir, I probably would have. I thought that I had done a credible job of causing the jury to disbelieve Tracey Tarlton. It was pretty clear that this now was a she said, she said. Tracey says one thing, Celeste says another. So what do we need now? We need to have another person's opinion. Who will that be? How about Celeste's own daughters? If you love your phone but not your carrier, just switch to T Mobile. You can keep your phone, keep your number, and we'll help pay it off up to $800 per line. 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Do you have bill credits and if you pay off devices early. When I got into the courtroom, I was super scared because I was thinking, if she gets out and they say she's innocent, she's definitely gonna kill me. I knew that we were gonna have to testify, and I knew it wasn't gonna be easy. Can you please take a name? Jennifer Elbeir. A lot of people watching this might say, God, you were her daughter's. How could you testify against your own mother? Did I want to testify against my mom? No, I wanted a mom. I wanted what my. You never had that. I never got that. Did you begin to live with your mother and Steve Beard? Yes. The prosecutor was trying to get Jennifer and Christina to provide testimony that made Traci's story more believable. What do you think was the most important part of your testimony? The tape. The tape. Is this the original micro cassette that you recorded this conversation on? Yes, that's correct. Remember, the tape is Christina's recording of a phone conversation with Celeste. Okay. I had the phone like this and recorded it like that. A conversation that both Jennifer and Christina said scared them so much when they were in hiding. She was very angry at Christina, and she said she could physically kill her. When they played the audio of the telephone call in the courtroom, it was so intense listening to Celeste just shrieking on the phone. You think I did that because I wanted to do that? If you're a juror sitting there listening to this, you think, what kind of mom talks to her daughter in this way? And of course, the key part, the very end of that recording, it's one of the biggest moments of the trial. An innocent person does not need to go out and hire someone to kill all the witnesses. And as big as this tape is, the girls are able to give so much more information. How did she treat him to his face, she was nice and loving. Behind his back, she'd flip him off and talk bad about him. She would say that he disgusted her. She said that she married Steve for his money. Did she tell you what would happen if Steve Beard died? That she would get it all? She would say, why wouldn't he die already? Did it appear that she was looking forward to that? Yes. So she's sitting there hearing all this testimony from her daughters. She's their mother, and she's not giving them anything. I just kept my eyes either straight. I did not look at her the entire trial. I saw her break apart the sleeping pill and put it in his baked potato. She would put Everclear in his vodka. Celeste's daughters alleged that their mother had essentially spiked his drinks, his food. It wasn't any effort necessarily to kill him, but just so he would fall asleep so she could go out and live her life. Celeste wouldn't sneak up and go over to Tracy's house at night. Where was she when you went to pick her up? Tracy's house. Tracy's room. We're in Tracy's room in her bed. They go on to give specific details about the night of the shooting. There's a walkway by my bedroom and about how Steve recovered enough to come home. I was kind of glad that he came home. I felt like he was doing fine. He didn't die originally when he was shot. I think she took every opportunity she could to speed it along. Celeste had been changing his wounds with dirty hands. I never changed his bandages. I never did anything like they're saying. That's a lie. You know that your mom rushed him back to the hospital the next day, don't you? I believe it was the next day. And he was not doing well, was he? I was told he wasn't doing well. One of the linchpins of the defense is that they have to convince the jurors that the girls are lying. They got millions of reasons. Because if Celeste gets convicted, the twins get the money. There was a question of what their motivation was in testifying. Have the twins been absolutely, completely and totally honest? So Dick DeGuerin is in court saying none of this is true. These girls want money. They're greedy. How would Jennifer and Christina supposedly get more money with you out of the picture? Because it went to me first. And then after I died, was incapacitated or found guilty, then it would go to them. You're planning to file another lawsuit, aren't you? No. Against your mom? No. If she's convicted. Now, your lawyer was very hard on your daughters, and he should have been. So you can get what you claim is your share of Steve's estate. We're not planning on filing a lawsuit. No. I thought that the jury would see that there's something wrong here, something bad going on with these kids. But the twins say there was one reason they testified, and it wasn't money. For Steve. I testified against Celeste. For justice. For Steve. Ask you to read that to yourself, see if that refreshes your recollection. DeGuerin was kind of ruthless. It was very terrifying to face cross examination. I'm not sure if she did or not. You're not sure? Didn't you receive this letter? Christina testified, I don't know. 298 times when Dick questioned her. I don't know anything about that. I don't remember that. I don't know. I don't remember that. Are you denying that it happened? I'm just saying I don't remember that. This is something big. This isn't just a tea party. And there's every reason why you shouldn't recall. A trial is a test of the believability or credibility of the witnesses. He accuses them of not only telling lies, but of fabricating evidence. That explosive tape on the tape you heard threaten to kill Tracy. That's not what the whole tape said. I hired someone to kill Tracy. But there was more to the conversation than that, wasn't there? Is that tape the original recording? They spliced the tape. In this particular case, there is a possibility it could be edited. I hired. We had Dallas Sound labs. He had 30 years of experience. He proved that those tapes were altered and edited. What we're looking at here on the screen, it's the waveform, is what we call it right here. You'll see. Iheart. I hire iheart. In this particular case, there is a possibility it could be edited. The parts of the recording that had that statement by Celeste were just that, only parts of a recording. There was never any evidence that she had asked anybody to kill Tracy Tarleton. Then, in your opinion, was an effort made to change the conversation by editing? Yes. I wouldn't know how to doctor any sort of tape, but no, I'm pretty sure they proved in court that it wasn't doctored. The fact that the person turned off the recorder, effectively ending the recording, some people might call it stopping the tape. In your profession, you called it editing. Yes. What the. The defense is trying to say that I hired somebody to kill Tracy is out of context. It's offensive, really. It's just highly offensive. But good on him for trying. But remember, there's also the question about the thousands of dollars that Celeste paid to her assistant, Donna Goodson. That money was allegedly to be used to hire a hitman. Donna was given immunity to testify about that. At trial against Celeste, she said, did I know anyone that could get rid of Tracy? What did you tell her? I said anybody could get rid of anybody with the right amount. My intentions were never really to find anybody to get rid of Tracy. I was just looking for some quick money. Celeste never explained why she paid Donna thousands of dollars. She denied the allegations about hiring a hitman and was never charged in connection with the alleged plot. But for most of this trial, everyone was waiting for the moment when Celeste would take the stand and speak for herself. I thought for sure she was going to take the stand. Seems like if you're innocent, I would take the. The defense told us every day for weeks that she was going to testify. And that surprised us that she chose not to. Why did you not testify at your own trial? Because Dick didn't want me to. I was bawling at the end because I wanted to testify. You wanted to? Yes, I did. He didn't think we needed it. He really thought it was a slam dunk. I don't know what her recollection about it is, but I did not tell her she was not going to testify. It was a joint decision. Celeste may not have taken the stand, but jurors still heard from her. Do you have the tape in? Ready to go. Instead, they see a video deposition from that civil case that was never played back then. What was the nature of your relationship, Tracy Tarleton? In the spring of 1999, it became kind of a proxy testimony from her, but she couldn't be cross examined. Did you ever have any romantic involvement with Tracy Charlton? Did you have any kind of intimate physical relationship with Tracy Taulton? No, I did not. She seemed almost sedated on that deposition. Did Tracy jack shooting your husband and you called her? I didn't ask her. She showed me she could not do it. I don't remember what she said to me. She had these long pauses between her answers. She just seemed very well coached. My thoughts were not one of who could have done it, but just that my husband wasn't going to die. I thought her testimony was fine. I thought the jury got to see her a little bit. And I think generally Celeste is a good witness. This soap opera that we went through for four weeks does not prove Celeste is a killer or wanted her husband dead or did anything to do it. In its closing argument, Dick DeGuerin told jurors the prosecution's case failed. They have not proven Celeste Beard guilty because they have not corroborated the unbelievable testimony of Tracy Tarleton. Steve Beard was shot because Tracy Tarleton saw him as the barrier to her happiness, as the threat to her hoped for relationship with Celeste. And that's what happened. Ladies and gentlemen, Celeste is not guilty. The defendant is guilty of capital murder based on the evidence. But Alison Wetzel and Gary Cobb tell jurors it's clear that she's guilty. The defendant looked forward to Steve's death. She would talk about how she would spend his money, the. The things she would do, the places that she would go. The truth is, the only motive that could have caused this was the money. I believe that you folks will do what's right. You will tell her that she is not above the law and that she is guilty. It had been a long trial, and by the time closing arguments were over and the jury left to deliberate, there was a real sense that the case could really go either way. What are you thinking when the case goes to the jury? What's going through your mind? That I was home free. That I was going to be found not guilty. After weeks of hearing compelling, riveting testimony from both sides, the jury finally has the case. The first day ended and we didn't have a verdict. The second day ended and we didn't have a verdict. I was encouraged when it took a while for the jury to come back. I thought that there were people back there that were not convinced. And it was on the third day that we finally got a verdict in the case. Ms. Johnson, would you please stand? The whole courtroom was really tense, and then they read the verdict. We, the jury, find the defendant, Celeste speard Johnson guilty of the offense of capital murder. Everybody was hushed in the courtroom, and I looked over and I saw that the girls were both crying. Guilty of the offense of injury to an elderly individual. They took Celeste away pretty quickly after the verdict. It was very disturbing. I couldn't believe it. I believe my husband had a stroke over it. I was not surprised at all with the guilty verdict. Because of the credibility of Tracy Tarleton. Yes. The thing that was so striking about Tracy Tarleton's testimony was that she had actually remorse for her actions. Neither Celeste was the only person that could have discounted portions of Tracy's testimony. That's right. We never had the benefit of hearing her testify on her own behalf. It could have changed the outcome if she had gotten up and been able to give credible explanations for her behavior. There's a sentencing hearing the very next day, and Celeste's two daughters have another chance to get on the stand and confront their mother. You don't deserve us. You never deserved us. The girls had really gone through a nightmare with Celeste, and it Seemed to just all come together in that courtroom. What did I ever do to you or Jen except love you? You threw us away like we didn't matter. And you sit there like you don't care. You say we turned on you. Well, you turned on us. You turned on the whole Beard family. He let you into his home, loved you, honored, obeyed you. And you violated him and murdered him. You are guilty. Shame on you. The court sentences you to serve life. Celeste was sentenced to life in prison plus 10 years and fined $10,000 for abuse of an elderly individual. Celeste was sentenced to serve her time in the women's prison in Gatesville, Texas. I've driven all the way to Central Texas to the Murray unit of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. Behind these walls, Celeste Beard is serving her two life sentences. She's already been in for more than 20 years, and we're about to hear her side of the story. Hello there. Hello. It's nice to meet you in person. You've been here over 20 years. What has it been like? The first 10 years was really hard and took a long time for me to forgive. All the people that lied about me. Everybody betrayed me. My daughters. I thought they were my best friends. I just wish I would have raised them with discipline and showed them more love, nurturing love, instead of teaching them to lie. When they lied about me in court, I only have myself to blame for that. Guilty of the offense. Then you hear the verdict. What goes through your mind? I just want to die. I mean, I just want to die because I could not believe what they did. I wish they would have given me the death penalty because this is the death penalty, what I got. But it's the long, excruciatingly painful death penalty. Worse than death. Yes, but whatever happened to Tracy Tarleton, the woman who actually pulled the trigger on Steve Beard? I know that you have remorse. I would like you to serve the time that you need to serve. I hope that you can get out and come back to the community. Tracy Tarlton was sentenced to 20 years in prison for murder, but released after 10 and placed on 12 years of probation. The one who engaged in total brutality is now free. Makes no sense to me. Does it bother you that Tracy's now out there in the world living free? Well, it's not fair. But she's mentally ill. I can at least have compassion for that. I've lost a lot of friends. But the fact that I have lost so many friends makes the friends that have stuck by me all that much more important. To shoot somebody For a charlatan, I don't think it says much about me. After Celeste's conviction and sentencing, she made various efforts to appeal. None of those were fruitful, and she remains in prison today. Celeste won't be eligible for parole until the year 2042, when she'll be 80 years old. I was wild, I was spoiled, and I was immature, but I'm not that same person now. But I certainly didn't deserve this sentence, and I should at least be free after doing more time than Tracy. And I believe she did love Stephen. I'm still involved, and I'll fight till my dying day because it's wrong. I miss him a lot. He's not the kind of person you just quit thinking about. He was too gregarious. He was too big of personality. The twins are not living near each other, but they found some calm after their roller coaster of a life with Celeste. I stayed in Austin. I made my own family here with all my close friends. Did you wind up getting any money from Steve's estate? We're not really allowed to talk about it, but there was a split between his kids and us. Christina, she has two daughters of her own. I'm kind of getting to live the life that I wanted as a child that you never did. Well, like I'm being the mom that I wanted. The twins say they've not seen or smell to Celeste since the trial in 2003. What do you want right now more than anything? To talk to my daughters, if we get a chance to talk to them. What you would tell them? I would tell them that I always loved them and I'm sorry that I wasn't the mother that you needed me to be. And I would do anything, just have a conversation. And I would love to know my granddaughters. That's a hard pill to swallow. It's hard to imagine that what she's saying is even true. And to meet her grandkids. I haven't even told them about my passed because they're kids and I don't want to ruin their childhood. I mean, honestly, I don't know what she would say that would change my opinion on wanting to be in the same room with her. So that's just kind of hard to wrap my brain around. You can't forgive her? No. Thanks for listening to the 2020 True Crime Vault. We hope you'll join us Friday nights at 9 on ABC for all new broadcast episodes. See you if you have a locked AT&T phone. We're here with bolt cutters. T mobile will help pay off your locked phone and give you a new 5G phone for free. All on America's largest 5G network. Visit t mobile.com carrierfreedom Be a virtual prepaid MasterCard in 15 days. Free phone up to 830 via 24 monthly bill credits plus tax and a 10 device connection charge. Qualifying port and trade in service on Go 5G next and credit required. 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