Post Mortem |The Plot to Eliminate Alyssa Burkett

Summary

48 Hours Podcast Summary: The Alyssa Burkett Case and Holly Elkins' Conspiracy

Episode Title: Processing...
Release Date: November 19, 2024
Host: Anne Marie Green
Participants:

• Peter Van Sant - 48 Hours Correspondent
• Liza Findley - Producer
• Gabby Demergin - Correspondent

---

Introduction to the Case

In this gripping episode of 48 Hours, host Anne Marie Green delves into the harrowing case of Alyssa Burkett, a young woman brutally murdered in 2020. The story unfolds in Carrollton, Texas, where Alyssa was killed by her ex-boyfriend, Andrew Beard, the father of her young daughter, Willow. The narrative takes a complex turn with the arrest of Holly Elkins, Andrew's fiancée, nearly three years after the murder.

---

The Murder of Alyssa Burkett

Alyssa Burkett was murdered in broad daylight outside her workplace in Carrollton, just north of Dallas. Despite Andrew Beard wearing a disguise during the attack, eyewitnesses quickly identified him, leading to his surrender to authorities within three days. Correspondent Peter Van Sant expresses astonishment at the brazenness of the crime:

“It's absolute madness that he did it where he did it. His own mother even said this was stupid.”
[02:55] Peter Van Sant

Peter elaborates on the possible psychological pressure Andrew was under from Holly Elkins, suggesting that her influence led him to commit such a conspicuous and reckless act, hastening his capture.

---

Holly Elkins' Manipulative Role

The plot thickens with the introduction of Holly Elkins, Andrew's fiancée, whose involvement in the murder case reveals a chilling manipulation. Producer Liza Findley describes Holly's ill-conceived attempt to disguise Andrew as an African American man:

“He put on fake beard like it was a Halloween costume... he was really got this makeup like ridiculous... he wasn't fooling anybody.”
[03:43] Liza Findley

Holly's tactics included psychological manipulation and orchestrating schemes to undermine Alyssa, such as fabricating a fake drug bust to jeopardize Alyssa’s custody over their daughter, Willow.

---

Investigation and Evidence

As the investigation unfolded, various pieces of evidence pointed to Holly's orchestrated involvement:

1. Text Messages:

   • Peter Van Sant highlights incriminating texts between Holly and Andrew, showcasing Holly's derogatory remarks about Alyssa and her coercive tactics to pressure Andrew into committing the murder.

     “She refers to Alyssa as bm, which is a baby mama... 'You're not a man unless you do this.'”
     [07:09] Peter Van Sant

2. Surveillance and GPS Tracking:

   • Authorities utilized GPS tracking from Alyssa's car and surveillance footage from places like Walmart parking lots to map movements and trace Holly's involvement.

     “Authorities can see where you went on particular days... they are able to trip them up on all of these things.”
     [14:22] Peter Van Sant

3. Makeup and Disguise Evidence:

   • The FBI uncovered that Holly had purchased dark makeup and instructed Andrew to use it, further linking her to the planning and execution of the murder.

     “They found that she had bought that makeup... ordered him to wear it and to be this persona.”
     [14:22] Liza Findley

4. Phone Searches:

   • Holly's internet history revealed searches like “is it legal to track somebody after the murder” and queries about psychiatric defenses, indicating premeditation and attempts to manipulate her potential legal defense.

     “She wrote, can I not be brought into court if I have a psychiatrist's note...”
     [15:27] Gabby Demergin

---

Holly Elkins' Arrest and Trial

Holly Elkins was arrested in late 2023, almost three years post-murder. During this period, she maintained a facade of normalcy, marrying in February 2023 and traveling frequently to the Dominican Republic. Her behavior post-murder raised suspicions, as she seemingly had no fear of repercussion.

Trial Proceedings:

• The 48 Hours team attended Holly's trial in April 2024, capturing intense courtroom dynamics.

• The prosecution presented Holly's own interview video, revealing inconsistencies and signs of overacting.

• The defense's unusual strategy included a live makeup demonstration using the same makeup found in Andrew's car, intended to disprove the prosecution's claims that Holly had orchestrated Andrew's disguise.

  “They used that bottle of makeup and they essentially did a makeover on Holly Elkins in front of the jury... are they really just giving Holly Elkins a makeover at her own trial?”
  [17:28] Gabby Demergin

Despite the bizarre defense tactics, the overwhelming evidence led to Holly's conviction.

Sentencing:

Holly Elkins was sentenced to two life terms for conspiracy to stalk and stalking using a dangerous weapon, resulting in death. Peter Van Sant clarifies:

“Most murder cases are handled on the state and county level... you can be sentenced to life as a result of that charge.”
[21:59] Peter Van Sant

---

Impact on Families and Willow’s Future

The aftermath of the case left profound scars on the families involved. Willow, Alyssa’s five-year-old daughter, now lives with her grandmother, Teresa. Despite the loving environment, Teresa expresses concerns about Willow understanding her mother's tragic fate.

“Willow asks her grandmother, does Mama have a cell phone in heaven? Can I call her?”
[22:57] Peter Van Sant

Teresa remains a pillar of support, ensuring Willow grows up in a nurturing home while grappling with the emotional turmoil of her mother's loss.

---

Courtroom Reflections and Emotional Toll

The trial was not just a legal battle but an emotional ordeal for everyone involved:

• Andrew Beard's Mother, Lizette, attended the trial and openly expressed her sorrow, distancing herself from Holly Elkins, who attempted to manipulate her perception.

  “I wanted the world to know I'm a normal person...”
  [19:16] Peter Van Sant

• Holly Elkins exhibited little remorse, maintaining a cold demeanor throughout the courtroom proceedings.

---

Conclusion and Reflections

The 48 Hours episode provides an exhaustive exploration of a case marked by manipulation, deceit, and tragedy. The thorough analysis by correspondents Peter Van Sant, Liza Findley, and Gabby Demergin uncovers the layers of Holly Elkins' conspiracy and its devastating impact on the victims' families. The story serves as a poignant reminder of the complexities surrounding crime and justice, highlighting the profound human emotions intertwined with legal battles.

---

Notable Quotes

• Peter Van Sant:
  “It's absolute madness that he did it where he did it."
  [02:55]

• Liza Findley:
  “He put on fake beard like it was a Halloween costume... he wasn't fooling anybody.”
  [03:43]

• Gabby Demergin:
  “Everybody in the room is like, are they really just giving Holly Elkins a makeover at her own trial?”
  [18:02]

• Peter Van Sant:
  “She could be nominated for an Oscar. Absolutely convincing.”
  [12:06]

---

This detailed summary encapsulates the key discussions, insights, and emotional depth of the 48 Hours podcast episode, offering a comprehensive understanding for those who haven't had the chance to listen.

Transcript

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Welcome back to Postmortem. I'm your host Ann Marie Green. And today we are discussing the case of Alyssa Burkett, who in 2020 was brutally murdered by Andrew Beard, her ex boyfriend and also the father of her young daughter. Nearly three years after Alyssa's death, Andrew's fiance, Holly Elkins, was arrested in connection with the murder. So joining me now to unpack all the twists and turns of this case are 48 Hours correspondent Peter Van Sant, producer Liza Findley, and Gabby Demergin. Thank you so much guys.

[Gabby Demergin]

Thanks, Ann Marie.

[Liza Findley]

Thanks, Ann Marie.

[Peter Van Sant]

Great to be here again, Ann Marie.

[Ann Marie Green]

Okay, as per usual, everyone remember if you haven't listened to the 48 Hours episode yet, you can find the full audio just below this episode in your podcast feed. Go take a listen and then come back for this conversation. So here we go. Alyssa Burkett was murdered in broad daylight outside of her workplace in Carrollton, Texas. This is just north of Dallas. There were witnesses and even though Andrew Beard wore a disguise, he was really quickly identified as a suspect and surrendered to authorities just three days later. But what I was really surprised by is he picks such a public place to attack her. Do you have any insight into why he would do it in broad daylight?

[Peter Van Sant]

Well, first off, it's absolute madness that he did it where he did it. His own mother even said this was stupid. Sue wasn't involved in the murder, of course, but to have all those eyeballs there where he was spotted, his getaway vehicle was spotted, how he killed her was seen. Authorities think it's all part of this enormous psychological pressure he was under from Holly that he had to act. That's the power that she had over him that he would have done something this stupid, which put authorities right on top of him so quickly. And by the way, a quick side. I used to live in Carrollton, Texas, when I was a reporter in Dallas and about a mile and a half from this site. So it's really something. Carrollton's a great town and I loved living there. And this is an extraordinary case for those folks.

[Liza Findley]

It was unbelievable. I mean, just to go back to how stupid it was. For instance, they made up this decision to have him appear. He's a white man, as an African American man. So they got this makeup, you know, sort of the java makeup. And he put this on like it was ridiculous. And then he put on a fake beard that was a Halloween costume. And he expected people to think that he was an African American men. And a lot of the witnesses said, you know, something about him. I don't think he was really. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And he wasn't fooling anybody. It was ludicrous. And you do wonder, I mean, one of the things we think about all the time is like, how did he think that he was going to get away with this? Yeah, there's no way. I mean, he had a history with this woman of tormenting her and stalking her. And here he is in the 9 o'clock in the morning during this savage murder.

[Ann Marie Green]

You know, the thing about Andrew is that he was really willing to talk pretty openly with the FBI almost right away. Did you all reach out to him?

[Gabby Demergin]

Yes. So I had originally sent him an email. He's in prison, but there is a system where you can contact incarcerated people through. And that's how I was able to get my message to him. And so I'd send him an email and I said, hey, would you be willing to speak with me over the phone? And he was. He was very polite, answered all of my questions, and he was very willing to help. And he wanted to do an interview on camera. And he was trying to facilitate this with the prison. Ultimately, they didn't let us in there.

[Ann Marie Green]

Wow.

[Gabby Demergin]

But he wanted to talk on camera. He was ready.

[Ann Marie Green]

Did he express regret?

[Gabby Demergin]

Not to me.

[Peter Van Sant]

And I always find some people, they just want to talk because they also realize we're the last gasp of the real world from the horrible confinement in prison, and we're a relief to them. They sometimes seize on that and they want to talk to us because after that, it's just bars, horrible food, violence, isolation, shame.

[Ann Marie Green]

Makes a lot of sense. Yeah. Of course, part of the reason that he was a suspect sort of early on is because Alyssa and Beard had had this contentious relationship, this custody battle over their daughter Willow. But when Beard started dating Holly Elkins, Alyssa was actually hopeful that maybe this new woman would create sort of a new, more positive environment, that all three of them could maybe work together to support Willow. And there were a series of text messages that we actually did see in the hour between Alyssa and Elkins from this period. And they seemed quite amicable. And then something changed drastically between the two of them. Do we know why?

[Liza Findley]

Holly Elkins was just acting. And she says they met for the first time. They all had a meal together and they were very friendly. And she wrote texts to Alyssa that said, I really want a super healthy relationship. And Alyssa's like, yes, thank goodness. And her mother was happy and her sister was happy. And finally, you know, somebody that's going to be able to calm Andrew down. But behind the scenes, let me tell you, behind the scenes, she was up to no good.

[Peter Van Sant]

Talk about, you know, sort of a two faced personality. Alyssa had no idea. She had these evil designs to eliminate her and become Willow's mother. We have some other texts that didn't make it into the show. And this is an exchange about what Andrew was going through with Holly, how she put pressure on him. And the murder took place in October of 2020, this is in June. And Holly is texting Andrew and she says some nasty things about Alyssa. She refers to her as bm, which is a baby mama. Here's some of that exchange. Holly writes, outside of not wanting some garbage mom, pathetic hookup in my life, if I raise Willow with you and we don't work out, I lose a child. Do you get that? She's talking now to Andrew, the man she's manipulating to do this, this killing, Andrew said, I do it would be unbearable. He was just so submissive to her right then. Holly writes, if those things were important to you, you would have brought them up to baby mama on your own, Andrew. And Andrew writes back in his submissive style. I love how serious you were taking it and was just so wrapped up in how great it's been. I didn't give you any acknowledgement of that. And Holly writes back, but you chose to be idk, I don't know, for lack of a better term, submissive to her. Like, let me deal with some crazy ass courts, baby mama situation for the rest of my life to raise Willow, who I have no right to, and I lose if anything goes sideways. This was part of her badgering of Andrew. You're not a man unless you do this. You are to stand up and defend me. These are my desires, my wants, and he is very submissive.

[Gabby Demergin]

Oh.

[Liza Findley]

You know what's sort of interesting is we spoke to Holly's best friend growing up and in high school, and this is exactly how she treated boys growing up. She was the catch of the day. You know, everybody wanted Holly, all the guys. She had the fanciest clothes and the nicest pocketbooks, and she wound them around her little fingers and got them to do things for her, like pick her up at midnight and take her to get a hamburger. Yeah, she really. She had it down.

[Ann Marie Green]

Gabby, in your, like, correspondence with Andrew Beard, did he talk about how he felt about Elkins?

[Gabby Demergin]

No.

[Ann Marie Green]

Really?

[Gabby Demergin]

But he would refer to her as Elkins, and I thought that that was interesting. And he does that in his interview with the FBI, and he refers to Alyssa as Burkett as well, which I thought is kind of cold.

[Ann Marie Green]

Yeah. Yeah. That's a little odd. We saw in the Hour that they had done this whole fake drug bust scheme to try and get Alyssa, I don't know, arrested, and maybe that she would lose custody. But that wasn't the only thing they tried.

[Liza Findley]

Andrew Beard said Holly was behind a lot of these schemes. She called 911 claiming to be a woman named Amber, for instance, and she wanted to report that there's a car that matched Alyssa's car with the same license plate, driving recklessly, flying drunk. And she was afraid. Holly was afraid. And they went and checked it out, and they didn't find any evidence that Alyssa was even on the road that night.

[Peter Van Sant]

And remember, they had put a tracker on her car. We talked about this, where she'd be out at a club and Andrew would walk in. It was like, how. How did he know I was here? She had no idea that this incredible plot was unfolding where she was the target.

[Ann Marie Green]

And it was escalating. So I have to admit, Elkin's interview video that we saw, I fell for it. She looked truly distressed. She voluntarily speaks to police. She tells them that she knows nothing about Alyssa's murder. Some of the interview was in the hour, but we're gonna actually play a clip that was not included in the hour.

Like, I know what it's like to lose a mom. Anybody. Losing a mom is not okay with me by any means. And I don't care if I liked her, disliked her, or thought anything about her, because that is not okay. I didn't always have the best relationship with my mom either. But losing a mom is not okay.

So one of the things I thought was interesting about what she says is, I know what it's like to lose a mother. I would never do anything like that. Did she lose her mother?

[Gabby Demergin]

Yes. So about two months before she met Andrew Beard, she lost her mother to suicide. It's very clear in this interview she's trying to play on the sympathies of these cops. She wants them to feel badly for her. And knowing what we know now, it's honestly crazy that she had come up with a plan to kill Willow's mother, a baby that she'd come to love so much, absolutely knowing that she had also lost her mother. So recently.

[Peter Van Sant]

She was masterful in that. I thought the acting performance.

[Ann Marie Green]

Right.

[Peter Van Sant]

She could be nominated for an Oscar. Absolutely convincing.

[Liza Findley]

One thing's the the cops told us that she always thought she was the smartest person in the room. She thought she could outsmart everybody.

[Gabby Demergin]

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Welcome back, everyone. So Elkins was actually arrested nearly three years after Alyssa's murder. What was she doing during that time?

[Gabby Demergin]

So we don't know much, but according to court documents, we learned that she had gotten married in February 2023. We don't know to who, but she had also made 12 trips to the Dominican Republic. So she was keeping busy.

[Peter Van Sant]

She's living large. Andrew was in the rearview mirror, left behind to deal with this situation she had helped create for him.

[Liza Findley]

And she was obviously not afraid of getting caught. I mean, this was an opportunity for her to go disappear somewhere in remote region of the world and get away with murder. But I guess she didn't think she had anything to fear.

[Ann Marie Green]

So what evidence did the FBI uncovered that really pointed to Elkin's involvement in Alyssa's murder? Because, as you point out, Liza, she was probably feeling like, well, I didn't do it. I don't know. Maybe she was thinking, it's not illegal to bring up an idea.

[Liza Findley]

Right? Right. Well, they had all these very damning texts, but they also had some real evidence that really put her smack in the middle of the plot. They found that she had bought that makeup, that dark makeup, and ordered him, according to his FBI interview, to wear it and to be this Persona. She was there when they bought the knife, when they brought the ammunition. I mean, really tangible stuff, you know.

[Peter Van Sant]

48 Hours viewers know this. Every modern car has a GPS tracker. Authorities can see where you went on particular days. And if your car went to a Walmart parking lot, they can then check that day on the cameras. If you use your credit card anywhere, they're going to find that purchase. And so they are able to trip them up on all of these things.

[Gabby Demergin]

And another thing is that there was evidence that Holly was with Andrew when he placed the GPS tracker on Alyssa's car in June of 2020.

[Ann Marie Green]

Interesting.

[Liza Findley]

And there was one search on her phone that said, creepy stalking music, and.

[Gabby Demergin]

Another search, something to the effect of, is it legal to track somebody after the murder?

[Peter Van Sant]

She did some searches, and she wrote, can I not be brought into court if I have a psychiatrist's note? She also wrote, vulnerable patients going to court. She's looking into apparently mental illness. And she also wrote contact psychiatrist in Dallas suggesting she was mentally troubled with a bunch of question marks.

[Ann Marie Green]

What was that about?

[Peter Van Sant]

Prosecutors thought that Holly was trying to create a narrative about herself, potentially for her own defense. So she was thinking of a way that she might be able to, I'm guessing, put the blame on Andrew, that I'm. I was mentally damaged or mentally ill at the time, and he manipulated me.

[Ann Marie Green]

Right.

[Peter Van Sant]

That's just a theory. I have no idea, but that's a theory.

[Liza Findley]

And also, what's so weird is that if it was so obvious that Andrew did this and he was going to get caught for doing it. She would never get willow, and she knew that. So really, what was the game? What was it?

[Ann Marie Green]

So the 48 Hours team was actually in the courtroom for Elkins trial. This was April of 2024. What was it like in the courtroom?

[Gabby Demergin]

So it was very sad. Andrew had pled, so he never got to go to trial. So this is the first and only trial that Alyssa's family was ever going to attend. And it was almost four years later after the murder. So they have to relive this whole thing with the anticipation leading up to it. The prosecution played Holly's interview in court as well. And, you know, it's very evident in some places where she's just overacting and lying and, you know, knowing what we knew sitting in the courtroom, it was very intense being in there.

[Ann Marie Green]

So you're in the courtroom and you're hearing all this evidence, crazy evidence about the makeup. What did you learn?

[Gabby Demergin]

So her defense put on a makeup artist as their expert, and they used the same bottle of makeup that was found in Andrew Beard's car that investigators say he used to cover his face the morning of the murder. They took that bottle of makeup and they essentially did a makeover on Holly Elkins in front of the jury. A demonstration to show that this makeup could be used to contour her face. It took about 20 minutes. The jury is looking at each other like, what is going on?

[Ann Marie Green]

Right.

[Gabby Demergin]

Everybody in the room is like, are they really just like, giving Holly Elkins a makeover at her own trial? And the judge says something to the effect of like, I've been a judge for a very long time. This is definitely a first.

[Ann Marie Green]

What was her demeanor like in the courtroom?

[Gabby Demergin]

She very rarely, throughout this seven day trial, looked back into the gallery to see everybody.

[Ann Marie Green]

Do you know if there was anyone there on her behalf?

[Gabby Demergin]

There was a couple there. I didn't know if they were related to her. But like we said, she lost her mother. And her dad did show up the very last day, I believe.

[Ann Marie Green]

Wow.

[Gabby Demergin]

Yeah. Andrew's mom also attended Holly's trial, and she was sitting in the same section with the victim's family. And the judge actually ordered her to sit on the opposite end, away from Alyssa's family.

[Ann Marie Green]

Yikes.

[Gabby Demergin]

And Lizette, Andrew's mom, said to the judge, well, I'm not here in favor of the defense. Making it very clear what her position was.

[Ann Marie Green]

Yeah, this is something that I think was kind of unique. Andrew's mother was not defending her son. I mean, she acknowledged that he did this horrible thing. She is heartbroken about it. Was it difficult to convince her to talk? Lizette? Did she want to talk?

[Liza Findley]

She wanted to talk. She needed to talk.

[Peter Van Sant]

Sitting across from her, this was a very cathartic moment for her. She did want to communicate that my son had been a normal boy, and he had dreams, and I loved him, and I never saw this kind of behavior before. And people think, too, well, a personality like Andrew must have come from a bad seed somehow. I think she also wanted the world to know I'm a normal person, which makes us ever more haunting of how this can happen. And looking in the depths of the human psyche, how her son could go from this terrific young man to a killer. And she just wanted to talk about it.

[Liza Findley]

I mean, she feels very tainted. You know, she feels that people look at her with disgust and blame her. And she wanted us to know that she was a loving mother who had raised a good son in her mind. We meet a lot of families of people who commit murder. Very rarely do they admit that their loved one actually did it and take responsibility and feel terrible. And most of them, they just can't go there. They just can't. And she did. You know, I admire that.

[Ann Marie Green]

I wondered also about. Did she talk about her relationship with Holly Elkins? Because I thought it was interesting, that little part of the interview where she's talking about how close they are, and she says, we vowed that we would never go any place without each other. And that actually made me think, like, but that's not normal. Like, that's a different kind of attachment, you know?

[Liza Findley]

Well, they bonded over their belief, or Lizette thought that Holly believed it as well, that Andrew was innocent. So they had a really, you know, they had a cause.

[Ann Marie Green]

Right. Us against the world.

[Liza Findley]

Yeah.

[Peter Van Sant]

Lisette, you almost felt like she'd gone back in time, and she was the same age, like they were dear friends. And that was a fascinating dynamic. But it's part of Holly's ability to manipulate. For Lizette, she felt as though Holly was a member of the family and she came to love her. Then Holly abandons Andrew, and Lisette never hears from her again.

[Liza Findley]

Right. The minute he gets out on bond, she just disappears.

[Ann Marie Green]

The charge I thought was interesting because Elkins is ultimately found guilty of conspiracy to stalk and stalking using a dangerous weapon, resulting in death. But then she gets two life sentences. It just didn't seem like those charges would result in such a heavy penalty.

[Peter Van Sant]

Most murder cases are handled on the state and county level. On the federal side, they do have a murder charge, but it's rarely used. They use these other charges that sound convoluted, but they still pack a wallop in terms of a sentence. And you can be sentenced to life as a result of that charge.

[Liza Findley]

And she got two life sentences.

[Ann Marie Green]

I know. What about Willow? How is she doing?

[Gabby Demergin]

Willow is five years old now, and Alyssa's mother Teresa said she's a very loved little girl. It's very clear that they've made a lovely home for her. She has this beautiful princess bedroom all pink. And I think, you know, now that she's growing up, Teresa is worried about how she's going to have to explain what happened to Alyssa to her.

[Peter Van Sant]

Remember, Willow asks her grandmother, does Mama have a cell phone in heaven? Can I call her?

[Liza Findley]

Yes.

[Peter Van Sant]

It's heartbreaking. I can't imagine.

[Liza Findley]

Right.

[Peter Van Sant]

Who can imagine that? I have to say Alyssa's mom, though, is just the most loving person. And so she'll be surrounded in that and hopefully she can come through the other side of this disaster.

[Ann Marie Green]

Well, it sounds like she has an incredible support system, but this is, you know, this is something that will hang over her for the rest of her life. It was a really fascinating hour. An incredible twist at the end. Peter, Liza, Gabby, thank you so much for joining us today.

[Gabby Demergin]

Thank you for having us.

[Liza Findley]

Thanks for having us.

[Peter Van Sant]

Anne Marie, another fascinating talk. Thanks so much.

[Ann Marie Green]

If you like this series postmortem, please rate and review 48 hours on Apple Podcasts and follow 48 hours wherever you get your podcasts. And you can also listen ad free on Amazon Music, Onedry plus, and the Onedry app, or with a 48 hours plus subscription on Apple Podcasts. Thanks again for listening.

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