2. The Arrest

Summary

Murder on Songbird Road: Episode 2 – The Arrest

Introduction to the Case

In the second episode of Murder on Songbird Road, hosts Lauren Bright Pacheco and criminal defense attorney Bob Motta delve deeper into the controversial case surrounding the tragic stabbing death of 11-year-old Jade Marie Beasley in Marion, Illinois. This episode, titled "The Arrest," explores the immediate events leading up to and following Julia Beverly’s arrest, raising critical questions about the integrity of the investigation and the possibility of a wrongful conviction.

Background of Julia Beverly

Julia Beverly, a 29-year-old resident of Songbird Road, was living with her father Stuart and her children, including Jade’s brother Jaden. Prior to Jade's murder, Julia had a stable domestic life with her fiancée, Mike Beasley, whom she had been dating for eight years. Julia was portrayed by friends and family as a devoted mother and stepmother, deeply involved in her children’s lives.

"She loved all her children, even the ones that she didn't give birth to. That is one thing that she is extremely good at." – Nikki, Julia’s cousin [09:07]

Day of the Murder

On the day of Jade’s murder, Jaden was staying with his biological father Stuart in Carbondale, Illinois, under the supervision of the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS). Stuart explained the sudden change in custody, revealing that DCFS had temporarily removed Julia from physically interacting with her children pending the investigation.

"DCFS would basically prohibit Julia Beverly from physically interacting with her children, pending the investigation." – Lauren Bright Pacheco [04:46]

Immediate Aftermath and Arrest

Following the murder, Renee Hightower, the maternal grandmother, recounts the harrowing experience of informing Jaden about his mother’s death and the subsequent emotional turmoil for Julia Beverly. Despite initially maintaining innocence, Julia was arrested five days after the incident.

"She was telling me the story, and I was just in disbelief... she told me how this man came into the house and... nobody should ever have to see that." – Nikki [20:37]

Reactions and Doubts from Family

Julia’s family, particularly her cousin Nikki and Stuart, expressed profound disbelief and skepticism about her guilt. They highlighted inconsistencies in the police investigation and voiced concerns over the lack of a clear motive or evidence linking Julia to the crime.

"I don't think she did it. They've never found a weapon... It still doesn't make sense." – Stuart, Julia’s father [08:35]

"Never in a million trillion years would she ever suspect Julia of this." – Nikki [40:18]

Investigation Issues

The episode uncovers several procedural anomalies during the investigation. Notably, Julia’s DNA was collected without a lawyer present, and crucial evidence reportedly went missing. Renee Hightower attempted to provide a crucial alibi, recalling that Julia had stopped at Huck’s gas station that morning due to low gas, which contradicted police claims that Julia never left the house.

"They set it up to make it look like Julie lied when it was something that she remembered." – Nikki [36:19]

Despite providing a tip to the police, Hightower’s information was allegedly ignored or dismissed, raising questions about the investigation’s transparency and thoroughness.

Emerging Contradictions in Evidence

Further complicating the case, a private investigator hired by Renee uncovered a potentially significant tip from a dispatcher overhearing a suspicious 911 call at 10:30 AM—a time that did not align with Julia’s alibi. This led Lauren and Bob to pursue alternative suspects, suggesting the possibility of another individual being responsible for Jade’s murder.

"That guy sounds like somebody that we really need to look at. Man, that is crazy." – Renee Hightower [40:35]

Legal Proceedings and Questions

The prosecution's case hinged on the assertion that Julia was the only one capable of committing such a brutal crime, despite the lack of tangible evidence like a weapon or blood-stained clothing at the crime scene. The defense, supported by family testimonies and emerging doubts, questions the validity of Julia’s conviction, positing that an innocent woman might be wrongfully imprisoned.

"They contended that the small bag Beverly discarded contained the murder weapon, blood-saturated clothing... None of these items have ever been located." – Lauren Bright Pacheco [35:38]

Conclusion and Continuing Investigation

As the episode concludes, Lauren Bright Pacheco and Bob Motta prepare to investigate further, traveling to Marion, Illinois, to interview Julia directly. This upcoming segment promises to shed more light on the community’s divided stance and the unresolved mysteries surrounding Jade’s murder.

"If Julia Beverly didn't kill Jade Beasley, someone else did. And there was one likely place to start searching. We're heading to Marion." – Lauren Bright Pacheco [40:48]

Notable Quotes

• "He went from living with his mom and his two younger sisters to... he lived with me in Carbondale." – Stuart [03:56]
• "Your grandma might be too optimistic. You kind of need to be in the middle because I don't think she did it." – Stuart [08:02]
• "After she got arrested, they found her scrunchie with my sister’s hair all over it." – Nikki [33:56]

Final Thoughts

Episode 2 of Murder on Songbird Road meticulously outlines the immediate aftermath of Jade’s murder and Julia Beverly’s subsequent arrest. Through interviews and detailed recounting, the episode raises significant concerns about the investigation's integrity, providing listeners with compelling reasons to question whether justice was truly served or if an innocent woman remains wrongfully convicted.

Transcript

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[Julia Beverly]

I thought she was guilty at first just by reading what the news said.

[Lauren Bright Pacheco]

In Marion, Illinois, an 11 year old girl brutally stabbed death her father's longtime live in girlfriend maintaining innocence but charged with her murder.

[Stuart]

A few hours ago I charged Julia.

[Renee Hightower]

Beverly, age 29 of 11304 Songbird Road.

[Nikki]

Marion with three counts of first degree murder. The murder of Jade Marie Beasley, an 11 year old girl.

[Lauren Bright Pacheco]

Most people that kill have a reason, a motive.

[Renee Hightower]

There's always a motive, something and it doesn't exist here.

[Julia Beverly]

It's scary because the person who did it is still still out there. And nobody seems to care.

[Lauren Bright Pacheco]

I'm Lauren Bright Pacheco and this is Murder on Songbird Road. According to Jade Marie Beasley's obituary, the sixth grader was remembered as funny, smart and sassy. Fond of playing outside and swimming, she enjoyed art, drawing, painting and video games. The photo that accompanies the remembrance is the same one used by the Williamson County State's Attorney when he announced her Murder. Showing a beaming young Jade, bespeckled in pink frames her face framed with a golden bob accented with pink highlights. She's sporting a pink beaded necklace and garments in a matching hue. Jade's obituary goes on to state that she loved her friends, adored her pets, and cherished her siblings, unquote, before listing surviving family. Missing from that list is the woman who considered herself Jade's stepmother, Julia Beverly. Although Julia's son Jayden is listed as Jade's brother. But from the day of Jade's murder, Jaden's life would be forever altered.

[Stuart]

He went from living with his mom and his two younger sisters to. He lived with me in Carbondale, which is 20 miles away from Marion. Pretty much, you know, we get to see his siblings not being in the same house. It was obviously bad sad for him. It was in an entirely different situation.

[Lauren Bright Pacheco]

That's Stuart, the biological father of Jaden, Julia Beverly's eldest son. The weekend Jade Beasley was murdered, Jaden was staying with him.

[Stuart]

I was gonna have him for a weekend, and then he was gonna go back. Sunday afternoon, evening, I got a call from, like, dcfs.

[Lauren Bright Pacheco]

Dcfs, for those not familiar, is the Department of Children and Family Services in Illinois.

[Stuart]

Like, you're getting full custody right then. So pretty much, you know, he's just visiting for the weekend, and he was with me.

[Lauren Bright Pacheco]

As we'll further explain, DCFS would basically prohibit Julia Beverly from physically interacting with her children, pending the investigation. So Renee Hightower would be the one who broke the news to her grandson Jaden in person the night of the murder.

[Nikki]

I told his dad that I was coming over, that I wanted to tell him, and he said, okay. And I got there, and I told him that something happened at his house. I said, a man can't broke in and his mom is okay. And I said, buddy hurt your mom, and he hurt Jade. And I said, but, Jade, he hurt her too bad. So he's looking at me, and I said, he's looking a little confused. And I said, jade is no longer with us. You could see him kind of trying to swallow those tears, you know, and. And that's when I told him. I said, it's okay to try, Jade, you know, so that's when he just let it out and hugged me, and he was just crying in my arms for a little bit. And I told him that his mom was going to call him and he can talk to her. And they talked for a little bit. I'm not 100% on what Julie was saying to him, but I Could hear a little bit of how much she loves him and that he's going to stay with Stuart for a while until things get figured out. And he said, okay. She calmed him down a little bit.

[Lauren Bright Pacheco]

We will dive much more deeply into this later. But Julia Beverly wasn't the only one cut off from her two youngest daughters and the son she was unknowingly carrying at the time of the murder. Her eldest child, Jayden, would lose not only his stepsister Jade, and his mother, but eventually all access to his younger siblings. So would Renee Hightower, their maternal grandmother, who had been petitioning for visitation. When we first connected back to Stuart, the Department of Children and Family Services and Jayden, DCFS wanted to talk to him.

[Stuart]

And I'm like, well, yeah, tell them the truth. Don't lie. But there wasn't anything, you know, DCFS talked to him for, like, half hour, and they were like, yeah, okay, well, we just have to interview. But there's no signs or anything of abuse or neglect or anything like those.

[Lauren Bright Pacheco]

Lines, which was in keeping with all the years Stuart had co parented Jaden with Julia Beverly.

[Stuart]

Jaden never had, like, a bad thing to say about his mom. He was always, you know, she was always nice and loving and caring. There was no abuse. We never said anything, no mark, nothing. I mean, even later on then, when he had his younger sisters and other stuff, he never, you know, he never had anything bad to say about her.

[Lauren Bright Pacheco]

Suddenly the sole parent in terms of Jaden's day to day, Stuart had to manage the passage of time with his young son's relentless optimism that his mother's incarceration was temporary.

[Stuart]

It took two years for the trial. I mean, it was a drug out so long. And as even sometimes he was telling people, like, oh, well, once my mom gets out, I'm going back. Even before the trial, he was telling friends or his cousin, like, well, I'm going to go back as soon as my mom gets out back there. Like, well, I know that's what you want, but even if she gets out, nothing will be the same.

[Lauren Bright Pacheco]

Jaden's father has tried to help him navigate his new reality and uncertain future.

[Stuart]

We even talked about stuff like with the news, like, there's people that are, you know, innocent, locked up. And then, you know, years later, then they're like, oh, yeah, whoops, we got the wrong person. Even if your mom gets out, it's not going to be the same. It's still. It's going to be different. You know, everything kind of like, try to tell them, like, Your grandma might be too optimistic. You kind of need to be in the middle because I don't think she did it. But you know what? If she's been in for so long, there's a possibility she doesn't. In his reality, things are going to go back to normal. It's like it will never go back to normal.

[Lauren Bright Pacheco]

If there was a magic wand waved tomorrow and Julie was out, you wouldn't have any reservation whatsoever about Jaden being with her?

[Nikki]

No.

[Stuart]

I mean, like I've told him is like, I don't think she did it. They've never found a weapon. Or it's like, if you stab somebody that many times, you'd have blood splatter with, you know, like, where's the change of clothes? Where's this? Where's that? Yeah. Never made sense. Still doesn't make sense.

[Lauren Bright Pacheco]

The accusation that Julia Beverly brutally stabbed her stepdaughter is particularly nonsensical to Beverly's cousin Nikki, who witnessed not only Beverly grow up, but eventually interact as both a mother and stepmother.

[Nikki]

She loved all her children, even the.

[Julia Beverly]

Ones that she didn't give birth to. That is one thing that she is extremely good at.

[Lauren Bright Pacheco]

Nikki says she knows Julia extremely well, even for cousins.

[Julia Beverly]

She's my maid of honor. She's my best friend. Julia's been my best friend since. Since she was born. I'm a little bit older, but we grew up together. We did everything together on the same cheerleading, Little League, you know, all the way through high school. We went to the same high school. We were with each other pretty much, like, every weekend, at least. We were all so close. There was between me and my siblings and her and her siblings. There were seven of us running around my grandma's house all the time.

[Nikki]

So we all grew up together.

[Lauren Bright Pacheco]

We were all extremely close, particularly Nikki and Julia.

[Julia Beverly]

We can look at each other and not say a thing and know exactly what the other one is saying, which.

[Lauren Bright Pacheco]

Is why Nikki was the first to know. When Julia found out she was expecting her first child, Jaden, while still in high school.

[Julia Beverly]

She was really young. I think she was about to be 18. And she hid it from us for a bit because she was scared. And then obviously, you couldn't hide it. She did it on her own for a few years, and so this his dad kind of came back into the picture and had more of a presence. I don't want to say she struggled with it, but it's just like any new transition. I know that I did whenever I had my first child. It's hard. It's difficult to do it at such a young age. I can't even really imagine. She pretty much had to drop everything, become a mom. She was a great mom. It changed her. Because you're 17, you just got to drop all the things that you think are the most important things in your life, like your daily high school life that you think is going to be your entire life, or going and hanging out with friends on the weekend. She just fully committed to being a mom and she was there doing it on her own with family, but on her own, which had to be extremely hard. But she loved him completely.

[Lauren Bright Pacheco]

Home videos show Jaden as a toddler playing rock band with a young Julia. Beverly jamming on a small plastic guitar as Jaden sings lead.

[Nikki]

Keep singing.

[Stuart]

No. No.

[Lauren Bright Pacheco]

Their energy is loving and relaxed and natural, as is the clip of Beverly and Jaden, still a toddler, enjoying the first flakes of a snowfall.

[Nikki]

Throw a snowball.

[Lauren Bright Pacheco]

When Nikki and her parents moved from Marion to Massachusetts, Beverly eventually followed, living with Nikki for a period of time.

[Julia Beverly]

Jaden was two when she moved out here. I had to be like 20 or 21 because I had met my husband at the time. She had Jaden out here, too. So it was me, Julie and Jaden living together.

[Lauren Bright Pacheco]

And so she went back after a few years?

[Julia Beverly]

Yes. Yeah, I would say. I would say it was probably about a year or so. It was. It was just a little hard, like we were. We were here to help her, obviously, you know, but it was hard for her, I think, just being so far away from her own mom.

[Lauren Bright Pacheco]

It was soon after Beverly returned to Marion that she met and started dating Mike Beasley.

[Julia Beverly]

She was extremely excited when she met him because he had a daughter who was the same age as Jayden. So she was excited because she, being a single mom, she thought that it was going to be extremely hard to find somebody to be with. So when she met Mike and found out that he also had a daughter who are the same age, it was almost kind of like amazing because their kids could play together, you know, and they both kind of have a same situation going on. So she was extremely happy when she met him. Never really voiced otherwise with me. They were together for eight years.

[Lauren Bright Pacheco]

She actually came to visit you more than once with Jade?

[Julia Beverly]

Yes. Yeah. So she came with Mike and Jade and Jaden, and they came a couple times. They stayed with my mom one time and then they came out again for our wedding.

[Lauren Bright Pacheco]

Just tell me a little bit about your observations as to how Julie welcomed Jade into her life and their relationship dynamic.

[Julia Beverly]

She was obviously extremely, very welcoming when you come in as the girlfriend, you know, she never overstepped any sort of boundaries with her, but she was very much there, always there to talk to, to be supportive of Julie, treated her like her own, buy things for her as if it was her own child. Never had any sort of complaints about her. They came pretty close to the point. I think she would prefer to stay at Mike and Julie's house over her mother's house. Just from what I was told, she had her own space, had her own room. She was included in all family functions, all things the holidays and pictures and things like that. So I mean, she was very much a part of the family, even though they weren't technically married that they were. They were family.

[Lauren Bright Pacheco]

Photos that Renee Hightower has shared appear to back up this assertion, as does Julia Beverly's still existing social media. Her Facebook cover photo, now updated by Renee, boasts a banner with IStandWithJulie. Underneath is a collage of seven photos, four depicting Jaden and Jade over the years. One shows a very pregnant Beverly as she smiles, her arms warmly wrapped around the backs of each step sibling as they bend down to kiss her large expectant belly. Julia and Jade are both wearing similar shades of bright purple, which pops against the green of the grassy background. Another photo shows Jade and Jaden in front of a colorfully lit Christmas tree. They appear to be around age 6 with their arms affectionately draped around each other's shoulders. Jaden, the shorter of the two, is lifting his head up towards the camera, wearing a wide grin. Jade is kicking one leg up to the side in a cheeky pose. They're adorable, as are all the siblings shown together, especially in photos that depict the two youngest girls being proudly and tenderly held by their big brother and sister. Jaden and the younger girls all share Julia's broad smile. A deeper dive into Julia Beverly's Facebook history reflects the ongoing yearly tradition of posting Jadyn's back to school photos alongside Jade's. Also reflected in past years is the blended family's apparent love for somewhat themed Halloween costumes, all while juggling a job that, like motherhood, required patience. As a customer service representative for Hyatt, Beverly was used to diffusing disgruntled people's frustrations in a calm, respectful and efficient manner.

[Julia Beverly]

She was actually incredibly patient, probably more patient than me. Motherhood was everything to her. I mean, she did work from home, so she still had a job. As far as like bringing in money into the household, I'm pretty sure she was also the primary breadwinner of the household, but she worked from home as a way to still be extremely present and available to her children. Every waking moment was dedicated for her children.

[Lauren Bright Pacheco]

It is of note again that Mike and Julie were together for nearly eight years and had already purchased wedding bands they had planned for both of their daughters and were trying for a third, hoping for a son. Mike shared custody of Jade with her biological mother, Jessica. Before the murder, there had no never been any reports of Beverly being violent or abusive to any of her children, including Jade. If there had been, it's doubtful that her father would have continued not only to live with Beverly, but to plan on having more children with her. Murder on Songbird Road will return after the break Playoffs.

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Now back to Murder on Songbird Road. Everything would change when Jade was murdered. Here's Renee's recollection of picking up Beverly at the police station the night of the murder and the days leading up to her arrest. Tell me what that car ride back from the station with Julie was like.

[Nikki]

Well, she was telling me the story, and I was just in disbelief and I was like, oh, my God, you've got to tell Mike. They're under the impression this was suicide. And she's looking at me confused, like, what's. I was telling her what was being said to me, and I was going through the story and she's just shaking her head and she's crying and she's telling me how this man came in the house and she said, nobody should ever have to see that. She said, no parent should ever have to see that. It was a quick ride, 10 minute ride. We got in the house and she sat down and my mom was hugging her and my mom was crying. It made her cry some more and. And then her brother came and he just grabbed her and hugged her. And then she lost it again, crying more. And then my mom's just sitting there rubbing her back. And she just kept saying, I should have just took her with me. I should have just took her with me. And my mom's telling her, you can't blame yourself, Julie. You can't. I can't put this on you. She still had the jail uniform on the little jumpsuit they gave her because they took her clothing.

[Lauren Bright Pacheco]

When Beverly agreed to be questioned at the Williamson County Sheriff's Department without a lawyer present, she also willingly consented to the collection of DNA from both her person and her articles of clothing. We'll dive much more deeply into issues with how that DNA was collected later. Back to Renee.

[Nikki]

I got some. Some of my clothes, gave her some little sweatpants, stretch pants and leggings and a hoodie to wear. And she went in the shower, and she was in there for a little while. I went to check on her, and I can hear her crying in there. And she told me after she was in there crying because she had blood on the bottom of her feet. And when she got in the shower, it kind of brought it back.

[Lauren Bright Pacheco]

This is actually an important detail. Jade was murdered on an unseasonably warm day, and Beverly had been wearing flip flops. At some point, she'd flipped them off and likely walked through blood at the crime scene. Back to Renee.

[Nikki]

She got out of the shower. I said, you have to tell Mike. We ended up driving back to Marion to go to Mike's parents house. Called him on the way and said we were on our way over. And he said, well, DCFS just called and they're about to be here too, so you might want to wait a minute. And I said, well, we're right down the street. So. And we ended up pulling up almost right at the same time as dcfs. And we sat in the car. It was me, Michael and Julie.

[Lauren Bright Pacheco]

Quick clarification. Michael is Julie's older brother and an aviation mechanic with the US Navy, not to be confused with her boyfriend and then fiance, Mike.

[Nikki]

We sat in the car. Cindy McGuire was her name from DCFS. She came over to the passenger side of my vehicle to talk to Julie. And that's when she informed Julie that she cannot see her children. And she lost it again. And she's like, no. She's screaming no. Because at this point, all she wants to do is hug her family, her children. After some tragedy and horrific tragedy like this, she wants to hug her children, hug Mike and grieve.

[Lauren Bright Pacheco]

What did they tell her?

[Nikki]

They said that it's protocol is how they termed it, that she has to have no contact with her children. She can have a video visit once a day for 15 minutes, and that's it. That's the contact she gets with her children until this is resolved. So she had to sign a paper to where Mike gets temporary custody of the children so they don't become wards of state. And she agreed to let them stay with Mike. She asked if she could talk to Mike, and they said, well, we're going to talk to him first, and then we'll see if he wants to come out and talk to you. So they were in there for a good 20:30 minutes. Mike came out, and as soon as Julie seen him, she jumped out of my car and ran to him and hugged him, and he hugged her back. And they were both. You can see they were both crying. And then I can see Julie talking to him. And then he. And this is what me and Michael found really strange is the way he was consoling Julie. His immediate response was to hug her, and he did. And then after a while, he steps away while she's talking, and he lies to cigarette. And then he's smoking his cigarette, and he's still close to Julie. And then he puts one arm around her shoulder, almost like resting his arm, almost like he. He had to do it to put up a front. It didn't look like a comforting hug that she needed. It just looked like he was just going through the motions. And I'm watching this, and. And I said to Michael, and he's like, well, maybe it's because he smoked a cigarette. He doesn't want to because Julie don't smoke, you know? And I was like, no, no. I said, look at his actions. And he was looking away from her smoking a cigarette, and just. It was weird. And Julie said she was just going through, like, a brief summary of what happened. It was just an odd behavior consoling her for, like, 10 minutes.

[Lauren Bright Pacheco]

In Renee's opinion, Mike was already doubting Beverly's innocence the night of the murder. Subsequent events would reinforce her opinion and add even more painful layers to this tragedy.

[Nikki]

They talked, and she got back in the car, and she was just upset. And for the next three or four days, she got to talk to Mike once a day for 15 minutes. And the very first phone call she got to FaceTime with the girls.

[Lauren Bright Pacheco]

Being denied physical contact with her children, compounded by the stress and trauma of the murder, was overwhelming for Beverly. According to Renee, Mike and the girls were staying with his mother. Sheila Jaden remained with his father. Beverly stayed with her mother and grandmother.

[Nikki]

She didn't eat anything for two and a half days. I finally forced her to eat a sandwich, and she ate probably not even a half a sandwich. I made her some juice to drink some. She had to get something in her. I said, julie, you gotta. You can't not eat. She wasn't eating. She wasn't sleeping. She wasn't drinking.

[Lauren Bright Pacheco]

Would you categorize her as in shock?

[Nikki]

Yes, in shock. In horrific grief? I mean, yeah. Yes. In the four days she was with me, the food she ate probably equated to 3/4 of a sandwich and a half a cup. Of liquid in four days. That's what she. She consumed.

[Lauren Bright Pacheco]

Beverly's already limited access to her daughters would entirely disappear five days after the murder. When Julia Beverly was arrested. Renee had been trying to help her daughter remember any details from the day Jade was killed, hoping they would vindicate her with a timeline.

[Nikki]

Well, I remember it like it was yesterday. Once she left that police station, she was with me for four days before her arrest. In that four days, she wasn't remembering a lot. And I didn't want to force her because I know what she had been through, but she would give me little bits and pieces that she could put together. It wasn't a clear picture. So I told her that fourth day, I said, I want you to sit down and write everything out that you did. Maybe that will trigger some more memories for you. And start with the time you woke up. And she started writing it. And a few minutes later, she said, I went to Hucks. I had to get gas. This was, like, late morning. And that's when I made that phone call to Gusantine to say that she remembered she stopped at Hooks.

[Lauren Bright Pacheco]

We'll get to the importance of Beverly's recollection that while she started out for Walmart, she never got there. Beverly suddenly recalled in the days that followed Jade Beasley's murder that she actually stopped at Huck's, the closest gas station to her house, because her gas light came on. Thinking it would prove her daughter's innocence, Renee Hightower wanted to share the information with the police.

[Nikki]

I said, julie, you gotta tell them you're on camera, because as of right now, they're trying to say you never left the house. And she's like, I can't. I already. I already invoked an attorney, so I can't speak to them without her. I said, do you want me to tell them? She's like, well, I don't know if you can, but I guess so. I picked up the phone, and I called and asked for Carl Gustantine personally. He answered, and I told him that Julie remembered she stopped at Hucks for gas and realized she forgot her cards at home, and then she had to go back to the house. He said, well, I'll have to hear that from her. And I said, well, she's already invoked an attorney, so you have your information. And he said, okay, and hung up the phone.

[Lauren Bright Pacheco]

That call didn't have the effect. Hightower had hoped.

[Nikki]

Within an hour and a half, they were knocking at our back door.

[Lauren Bright Pacheco]

We'll be right back with Murder on Songbird Road.

[Renee Hightower]

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[Lauren Bright Pacheco]

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[Nikki]

You're going to get results and then you just go out and live your life.

[Renee Hightower]

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[Lauren Bright Pacheco]

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[Renee Hightower]

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[Lauren Bright Pacheco]

Now back to Murder on Songbird Road.

[Nikki]

Cindy Geitman, Carl Gustantine, and another officer stepped into my home, my mother's home, through the back door. They said they were there for Julie and they had a warrant for her arrest. A few moments prior to this, we seen comments on Facebook showing her warrant on the judiciary page. And Julie began to panic at that point. And then a few minutes later, there was that knock at the door. I came in and Julie immediately started crying. She had her promise ring from Mike that she immediately took off and handed to me. My mother was there. My mother seen that they were putting cuffs on Julie and she started crying and she said, you guys are killing her. I'm sorry, I just need a minute because I've. You can feel my mother's pain at that point witnessing this. And Cindy Geitman tells my mother, well, that's what she gets for killing somebody. I just can't believe she said that to my mother. And I just. I just looked at her like, why would you even say that? Why would you say that?

[Lauren Bright Pacheco]

I have reached out to both Cindy Geitman and Carl Gustantine. Both have since retired, as have multiple officers and officials involved with the investigation into Jade Beasley's murder and the case against Julia Beverly Geitman. And I spoke on the phone and she made it exceedingly clear that she did not intend to comment on what would be her first and last time leading a murder investigation. Back to Renee.

[Nikki]

I found out later when Cindy Geitman walked Julie outside to frisk her and check her. Julie had her hair in a ponytail with a scrunchie. Not a ponytail holder, not a super tight one, very loose, made of cloth scrunchie. And she grabbed it out of Julie's hair. And Julie said she grabbed her hair so hard that it yanked her head back, pulled some of her hair out. And later I found that scrunchie sitting on top of my car with Julie's hair all over it, and then put her in the car and took her down to the station.

[Lauren Bright Pacheco]

While Carl Gustantine did not respond to my multiple attempts to question him about receiving the tip Renee Hightower says she gave him, the police appear to have acted upon it after she was arrested.

[Nikki]

I was furious, so I said, I guarantee they're out there searching right now. So I went past the gas station, and there they were searching the trash cans somewhere in the dumpster.

[Lauren Bright Pacheco]

And once they pulled the video from the gas station, what did they claim they'd found?

[Nikki]

They said that they got Julie on camera stopping at the gas station to throw away items. And they see her on camera with this bag that could fit in the palm of her hand, about the size of a diaper, because that's what she had in the bag, a diaper. She said, maybe there was two in there, but it was diapers. But you can clearly see on the camera it could fit in the palm of her hand, and she threw it away, and then she went back to the house to get her cards.

[Lauren Bright Pacheco]

The prosecution would contend that the small bag Beverly discarded contained the murder weapon, blood, saturated clothing, and any material she used to clean up any trace of blood on her person. None of these items have ever been located, not at that Hucks gas station, nor the dump. Police combed for evidence. Hightower continues to take issue with how the incentive to search Hucks was portrayed in court.

[Nikki]

There was an officer in trial who testified that he went to Hucks. And the defense attorney, she asked, well, what made you go there? And he said, oh, I just got a feeling. Just got a feeling.

[Lauren Bright Pacheco]

So they set it up to make it look like Julie lied when it was something that she remembered. And you gave as a tip. And then they didn't even attribute it to Julie or to you?

[Nikki]

Correct. So Gusantine was also on the prosecution's witness list, and if he would have testified, then I could have but they kept him off, too. He didn't testify either.

[Lauren Bright Pacheco]

And so they never disclosed where that tip came from.

[Nikki]

Never. I've even said this to people on my social media platform, and I get called a liar. And, no, they found out that she lied. And I'm like, okay, well, I've got a text message to my sister to prove it, timestamped and all.

[Lauren Bright Pacheco]

You probably would have phone records showing that you called.

[Nikki]

Sure do. And every call is recorded that comes into that police station.

[Lauren Bright Pacheco]

Hightower has indeed showed me text messages and phone records that back up her version of that outreach. Again, to date, Carl Gustantine has not responded to my multiple attempts to reach him. But while Renee's call didn't prevent her daughter's arrest, it didn't provoke it.

[Nikki]

The arrest warrant was issued the day before. Actually, it was signed and issued the day before. And they chose to arrest her on this day because her first appearance, it would line up on the same day as Jay's funeral. And that was a calculated decision, I believe, to boost and bolster the emotional outrage of the public. Because here you have her having her first appearance at the exact same time that the funeral is going on. And they are a parking lot away from each other.

[Lauren Bright Pacheco]

Criminal defense attorney Bob Mota and I connected with Renee on a call.

[Nikki]

Hello?

[Lauren Bright Pacheco]

Hey, how are you?

[Nikki]

Hi. I'm good.

[Lauren Bright Pacheco]

I'm gonna patch and Bob, stand by.

[Julia Beverly]

Hello?

[Lauren Bright Pacheco]

Okay, I'm merging us with Renee. Hold on one second. All right, you guys. Bob, Renee. Renee, Bob. So, Bob, we have some really interesting updates for you. In the press conference held five days after the murder, the then Williamson county state's attorney states that Julia Beverly's claims she was met by a knife wielding, masked assailant were proven false. But Renee Hightower and Julia's supporters have never stopped looking for him. Renee even hired a private private investigator to find him.

[Nikki]

My private investigator said that he overheard the a dispatcher because they come out to his shooting range. He overheard a dispatcher saying, I thought we were on our way to the other 911 call. Julie's 911 call was placed at 12:24. Okay, so there's supposed to be another call. They subpoena the 911 calls. It's not in there. However, there is a incident out in the same area that Julie is at. And this call was made at 10:30 for suspicious person.

[Renee Hightower]

No way.

[Nikki]

Yes. This is at 10:30. He was out there, belligerent, talking about harming somebody, just cussing and carrying on. And somebody called the cops on him. And they go respond and they pretty much did. Whatever talked, got his name, information, sent him on his way. He's wearing a black hoodie and dark pants.

[Lauren Bright Pacheco]

This would spur the first of many rabbit holes. Bob and I would go down looking for the knife wielding man Julia Beverly claimed she encountered. But this tip led to a specific man. A man now incarcerated for attempting to disarm an officer and arrested multiple times previously. A man who, unlike Julia Beverly, has a history of crimes, mental illness, and a fondness for hunting.

[Nikki]

Never in a million trillion years would she ever suspect Julia of this. Never. Not one person. As a matter of fact, they thought it was suicide before they even thought about Julie. Until the police said it was Julie.

[Renee Hightower]

I mean, that guy sounds like somebody that we really need to look at.

[Nikki]

Yes.

[Renee Hightower]

Man, that is crazy.

[Lauren Bright Pacheco]

If Julia Beverly didn't kill Jade Beasley, someone else did. And there was one likely place to start searching. We're heading to Marion.

[Nikki]

Yes, we are.

[Stuart]

Yes, we are.

[Renee Hightower]

I'm here for it. I'm ready.

[Lauren Bright Pacheco]

On the next Murder on Songbird Road, we travel to Marion, Illinois, to sit face to face with Julia Beverly.

[Stuart]

She says she wasn't even thinking, and.

[Renee Hightower]

Then she's walking through and then she.

[Nikki]

Sees the blood in the living room.

[Renee Hightower]

She says, oh, my God, Jade.

[Lauren Bright Pacheco]

And encounter a community divided. The woman behind the desk at Starbucks, she said, it's sad, but she. She also had her doubts as to whether or not Julie did it before heading to the site of the murder.

[Renee Hightower]

Should we go walk it?

[Lauren Bright Pacheco]

I think so.

[Stuart]

I think we should.

[Renee Hightower]

I think we should.

[Nikki]

All right, let's go see what's up.

[Lauren Bright Pacheco]

Murder on Songbird Road is a production of iHeart podcasts. Our executive producers are Taylor Chicoin and Lauren Brightpear Pacheco Research, writing and hosting by Lauren Bright Pacheco. Investigative reporting by Bob Motta and Lauren Bright Pacheco. Editing, sound design and original music by Evan Tyre and Taylor Chicoine. Additional music by Asher Kurtz. Archival elements courtesy of WSIL News 3. Please like subscribe and leave us a review wherever you're listening. You can follow me on all platforms at Laura Lauren Bright Pacheco and email the show with thoughts, suggestions or tips@instimating murderheartmedia.com for more I Heart podcasts, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your favorite shows. Thanks for listening.

[Nikki]

Hey guys. As you know, I've been taking some time off drinking, but when I go.

[Lauren Bright Pacheco]

Out, I want to be able to.

[Nikki]

Hang with the boys. So I've been checking out some non alcoholic beer options and Heineken 00 was the perfect drink for that. Yeah buddy.

[Renee Hightower]

Heineken 00 is the official brew of endless possibilities because with Heineken 00 now.

[Nikki]

You can Whether at the office, pre or post workout, or relax in at.

[Renee Hightower]

Home, being 0.0% alcohol means you can enjoy this alcohol free option whenever refreshment calls. Heineken 00 0.0% alcohol 100% taste only 69 calories now you can available at your local Heineken retailer or for [e-mail] must be 21/ to purchase.

[Lauren Bright Pacheco]

Enjoy Heineken responsibly.

[Renee Hightower]

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