3. The Timeline

Summary

Murder on Songbird Road – Episode 3: The Timeline

Overview

In the third episode of Murder on Songbird Road, titled "The Timeline," hosts Lauren Bright Pacheco and criminal defense attorney Bob Mota delve deeper into the contentious case surrounding the tragic stabbing death of 11-year-old Jade Beasley in Southern Illinois. This episode critically examines the sequence of events leading to the arrest and conviction of Julia Beverly, the fiancée of Jade's father, questioning whether justice was truly served or if an innocent woman remains wrongfully convicted.

Meeting with Julia Beverly

The episode begins with Lauren and Bob traveling to Marion, Illinois, to meet Julia Beverly in person for the first time. Julia's sentencing was scheduled for October 13, 2023, marking a pivotal moment in the investigation. Upon arrival, Bob describes Julia as "a slightly jaded tough guy" despite her role as a former defense attorney. They meet Julia at the Williamson County Jail, where Bob notes the facility's large, aging structure and the pervasive stress environment.

Bob Mota [04:16]: "I get down there. Typical small town county jail, but big structure. It's a relatively big structure."

Julia is portrayed as a petite woman, standing at 4'11", mirroring Bob's wife's stature. Their conversation aims to uncover Julia's side of the story, focusing on her relationship dynamics and interactions with Jade.

Bob Mota [07:27]: "She was very thoughtful about it. I'm like, how was your relationship with Jessica? Was Mike's ex mother of Jade?"

Analysis of the Timeline

Lauren and Bob meticulously dissect the prosecution's timeline, which alleges that on December 5, 2020, Julia meticulously planned and executed the murder of Jade Beasley during a 45-minute window when she was unsupervised. The prosecution's narrative hinges on digital evidence, such as Julia's work logs, cell signals, and surveillance footage from a gas station where Julia was seen discarding a small bag purportedly containing incriminating items.

However, Lauren and Bob identify significant inconsistencies in this timeline. Notably, no blood was found in Julia's home or home office, contradicting the prosecution's claim that Julia removed evidence of blood before returning to work. Additionally, the duo highlights a 31-minute gap between Julia's alleged departure from the house and her call to 911, which they argue is insufficient and raises doubt about the prosecution's case.

Bob Mota [31:02]: "She says the Huck's video has her dumping the garbage at 11:48. Now, she claimed at trial that there was some evidence that came in that indicated that the clock was off, like, that the timestamp was off for the video."

Interview Insights

Julia Beverly provides a detailed account of her interactions with Jade on the morning of the murder. She describes a conversation where Jade expressed frustration over a situation with a friend at school, which Julia initially believed could indicate suicidal thoughts. This conversation allegedly led Julia to extend her break, providing her with the opportunity to leave the house early under the guise of "retail therapy."

During the interview, Julia recounts the moments leading up to the discovery of Jade's body, including her realization of an intruder in her home and the ensuing struggle. However, Bob challenges Julia's account, particularly questioning the plausibility of the timeline and Julia's actions following the alleged attack.

Bob Mota [22:17]: "She gets a response that he's scheduled till 2, but probably gonna get off at 1."

Lauren Bright Pacheco [20:04]: "It was at this point, according to Beverly, Jade confided in her as to a situation she was navigating with a friend from school."

Site Visit to Songbird Road

Seeking to contextualize the case geographically, Lauren and Bob embark on a field trip to the former residence of Jade Beasley and Julia Beverly on Songbird Road. They explore the now-absent double-wide house, examining the property's layout and surrounding area. The site visit underscores the rural isolation of the neighborhood, questioning the likelihood of an unknown intruder accessing the property unnoticed.

Lauren Bright Pacheco [36:12]: "We know that the house, they disassembled it, repossessed it. Yeah, this is Songbird Lane. Can I just blow by it?"

As they walk through the remnants of the property, including a dilapidated barn and overgrown trees, the hosts reflect on the isolation and lack of surveillance in the area, which could both facilitate and complicate criminal activities.

Bob Mota [40:01]: "The two distinct trees that mark the driveway were the same trees Julia's cousin Nikki immediately recognized in the social media post the day of the murder."

Their exploration reveals the improbability of casual foot traffic or unnoticed intrusions, reinforcing questions about the prosecution's theory of an external assailant.

Critical Doubts and Observations

Throughout the episode, Lauren and Bob articulate their skepticism regarding the prosecution's case. They emphasize the absence of a clear motive, the lack of physical evidence linking Julia to the crime scene, and the inconsistencies in Julia's account of her actions on the day of the murder. The hosts suggest that these factors collectively cast doubt on the conviction and whether Julia Beverly is indeed the real killer.

Bob Mota [31:02]: "That is our biggest issue. To me, we're going to have to build these timelines out like hardcore and it's going to have to be through things that we can substantiate."

Conclusion

"The Timeline" serves as a pivotal episode in Murder on Songbird Road, meticulously dissecting the prosecution's narrative and highlighting critical gaps and inconsistencies. By combining in-depth interviews, timeline analysis, and on-site investigations, Lauren and Bob present a compelling case for re-examining Julia Beverly's conviction. The episode leaves listeners with lingering questions about the true events of December 5, 2020, setting the stage for further exploration in subsequent episodes.

Notable Quotes:

• Bob Mota [04:16]: "I get down there. Typical small town county jail, but big structure. It's a relatively big structure."

• Bob Mota [07:27]: "She was very thoughtful about it. I'm like, how was your relationship with Jessica? Was Mike's ex mother of Jade?"

• Bob Mota [31:02]: "She says the Huck's video has her dumping the garbage at 11:48. Now, she claimed at trial that there was some evidence that came in that indicated that the clock was off, like, that the timestamp was off for the video."

• Bob Mota [22:17]: "She gets a response that he's scheduled till 2, but probably gonna get off at 1."

• Bob Mota [40:01]: "The two distinct trees that mark the driveway were the same trees Julia's cousin Nikki immediately recognized in the social media post the day of the murder."

• Bob Mota [31:02]: "That is our biggest issue. To me, we're going to have to build these timelines out like hardcore and it's going to have to be through things that we can substantiate."

Upcoming in Episode 4:

Lauren and Bob continue their investigation with a visit to the gas station pivotal to the prosecution's timeline, uncovering more discrepancies and seeking additional evidence to challenge Julia Beverly's conviction.

---

This summary provides an in-depth look into Episode 3 of "Murder on Songbird Road," capturing the essence of the discussions and investigative insights presented by Lauren Bright Pacheco and Bob Mota.

Transcript

[Narrator 1]

He was a boy Scout leader, a husband, a father. But he was leading a double life. He was a monster hiding in plain sight. Journey inside the mind of one of history's most notorious killers. BTK through the voices of the people who know him best. Listen to Monster BTK on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.

[Jon Stewart]

Jon Stewart is back in the host chair at the Daily show, which means he's also back in our ears on the Daily Show Ears Edition podcast. Join late night legend Jon Stewart and the best news team for today's biggest headlines, exclusive extended interviews and more. Now this is the second term we can all get behind. Listen to the Daily Show Ears edition on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Bob Mota]

It was big news. I mean, white girl gets murdered, found in a cemetery. Big, big news.

[Narrator 2]

A long investigation stalls until someone changes their story.

[Bob Mota]

I, like, saw a whole thing that happened.

[Narrator 2]

An arrest, trial and conviction soon follow.

[Lauren Bright Pacheco]

He did not kill her.

[Narrator 2]

There's no way is the real killer rightly behind bars or still walking free. Did you kill her? Listen to the real Killer, Season 3 on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Danny Trejo]

You should probably keep your lights on for Nocturne Tales from the Shadow. Join me, Danny Trehove and step into the flames of Fright, an anthology podcast of modern day horror stories inspired by the most terrifying legends and lore of Latin America. Listen to nocturnum on the iHeartRadio Apple Podcast or wherever you get your podcast.

[Lauren Bright Pacheco]

Murder on Songbird Road is a production of iHeart podcasts. Previously on Murder on Songbird Road.

[Bob Mota]

I don't think she did it.

[Lauren Bright Pacheco]

That's Stort, the biological father of Jaden.

[Bob Mota]

They've never found a weapon or to change clothes. Never made sense.

[Danny Trejo]

Still doesn't make sense.

[Lauren Bright Pacheco]

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

[Bob Mota]

No, she loved all her children.

[Lauren Bright Pacheco]

Nikki says she knows Julia extremely well. Even for cousins, Even the ones that she didn't give birth to. That is one thing that she is extremely good at. Beverly suddenly recalled that she actually stopped at Huck's.

[Nikki]

I said, julie, you gotta tell him because as of right now, they're trying to say you never left the house. I called and asked for Carl Gustantine personally. I told him that Julie remembered she stopped at Hut's for gas. 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]

The video from the gas station, what did they claim they'd found?

[Nikki]

They got Julie on camera stopping at the gas station to throw away items in the same area Julie is at. There is a incident, and this call was made at 10:30 for a suspicious person.

[Bob Mota]

No way. Yes.

[Nikki]

He's wearing a black hoodie and dark pants.

[Lauren Bright Pacheco]

We're heading to Marion.

[Bob Mota]

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

[Lauren Bright Pacheco]

I'm Lauren Bright, Pacheco, and this is Murder on Songbird Road. Julia Beverly's sentencing was scheduled for Friday, Oct. 13, 2023, the day before Bob Motta came down from Chicago. I flew in through St. Louis, Missouri, and drove the two hours to Marion. We connected there in person for the first time.

[Bob Mota]

Hi.

[Lauren Bright Pacheco]

Hey. In person, Mata comes across more like a slightly jaded tough guy than a former defense attorney. It's recording.

[Bob Mota]

Oh, we are.

[Lauren Bright Pacheco]

Yeah. I had a new kit, so it took me a while. He's long. Traded ties for T shirts, a beard, and a mustache that veers more biker than bar exam a look much more in keeping with his additional passion to law and his wife, Allison. Music when we finally crossed paths in Marion, he had just met with Julia Beverly at the Williamson County Jail.

[Bob Mota]

So I get down there. Typical small town county jail, but big structure. It's a relatively big structure. I don't know. Have you been into a jail?

[Lauren Bright Pacheco]

Yeah. So Pinckneyville, where Chris is, it basically looks like a 1960s high school.

[Bob Mota]

Yeah. This one's a little more modern. It's still probably 30 years old, but for Marion, Illinois, which is extremely rural down here, it was big. Clearly, they have a pretty good amount of people in there because there were several blocks, and you walk in, and every jail and prison has that smell. There's no other smell like a jail or a prison. It's bad. It's like a weird maple syrup with, like, combined with dirty feet.

[Lauren Bright Pacheco]

I can't say. It's kind of stress and depression.

[Bob Mota]

Yeah, well, that's for certain. Like, if that's. If that had a smell, that's exactly what it would smell like. So I get in, give him my creds. I wanted to be able to meet with her with some privacy so that we could have, like, a full discussion.

[Lauren Bright Pacheco]

Since Maud is still a licensed attorney, he was able to meet with Beverly in an area that allows a degree of privacy as opposed to a communal visiting space, which was conducive to the conversation he planned on having.

[Bob Mota]

So I wanted to interview her. I wanted to get factually what her side of the story was where it wasn't being read through a transcript, where I know obviously things were not addressed or things. Things were inadmissible. I'm always walking in, having defended some pretty awful people in my life. And I always can pride myself and be able to sense if somebody seems off, I always feel like I can pick them out. And I wasn't getting that sense from her, you know, And I'm asking her a lot of questions, like, I wouldn't consider it to be an interrogation, but I told her, I said, I'm going to play devil's advocate here. I want to pick out the things that we know were issues at trial, the things that we are going to be concerned with as we're progressing through this. We want to address them. We can't pretend that they don't exist. And I said, look, I don't want you sugarcoating anything. Like, if you and Mike were in arguments, I want to hear authentically how they were. Like, were you guys screamers? Were you dropping f bombs on each other? What kind of relationship was it? I want to know because it all matters. She was candid. I start with the background. I get the history of her and Mike, the relationship with her and Jade.

[Lauren Bright Pacheco]

Mata and I both know that while friends and family often paint a sympathetic picture of the accused, some questions and doubts can only be addressed by actually sitting with them face to face. What was she like physically?

[Bob Mota]

Small. So she's probably 4 11, diminutive, small, like, not imposing. My wife's 4'11 too, so I'm used to little, but she's little sweet, very nice. I start from the history of her and Mike, from the beginning. When did you meet? How old were the kids? Julie's got Jaden, and Mike had Jade. They were both 4 years old when they met. She goes through kind of like the backstory in terms of she was a cook.

[Lauren Bright Pacheco]

Right. And she was a hostess.

[Bob Mota]

Yeah. They were working at this Benny's, which was an Italian spot that they both worked at here in Marion. In terms of the relationship, they of hit it off. They both liked the fact that they had a young kid. They felt that that was something that was going to make them compatible in terms of being able to, hey, you know, we're not going to go out tonight because we have kids, you know, that type of thing. And so they really kind of connected pretty quickly. The relationship blossoms. Within a year, they're moving in together, I was asking her, you know, how was your relationship with Jade initially? My parents divorced when I was young and I'm also a parent of stepchildren. I used that experience from me being a stepchild to like what not to do in terms of being a step parent. You know, never forcing kids to say I love you and let them just develop organically their feelings for you. And all the things that went on with me as a young kid, I didn't want those same mistakes and I wanted my, my kids to grow to love me on their own accord. So she did the same thing. She was very thoughtful about it. I'm like, how was your relationship with Jessica? Was Mike's ex mother of Jade?

[Lauren Bright Pacheco]

Renee said that they never really interacted much.

[Bob Mota]

They didn't. That was kind of the deal. Anytime there were issues with Jade, Jessica would never communicate with Julie. She would always go to Mike, which irritated Julie, obviously. She's like, we're together. They have two kids together. They're a blended family. And just Jessica just never would really get with her, like in terms of interacting. So she gave me examples of situations that had arisen over the years. They weren't anything that lasted for long duration. Kind of like menial type things. Like there was a thing where we'd be running late, I'd give Jade a Pop Tart on the run type of breakfast. Jade wouldn't eat it. And then Jade would mention something at school like, oh, I didn't eat breakfast, my parents didn't feed me. And then they were calling Jessica and Jessica's like, oh, why aren't you feeding my kid? And she starts like for a couple months, like bringing boxes of cereal over, like as if they're neglecting the kid. It's like those kind of things were going on. So it definitely was never a relationship where they were friendly.

[Lauren Bright Pacheco]

It doesn't sound like just an aside. This strained, if not non existent relationship with Jessica could shed some light on the lack of support for Julia in the days and hours immediately following the murder. Also know that we have reached out multiple times to multiple members of Jade's side of the family and you will hear their take as well in future episodes. Back to Bob and his meeting with Beverly.

[Bob Mota]

It wasn't like a battle. It just was like a non existent relationship, which to me is strange. I mean if you've got blended families. And Jessica had had another kid. So Jade had a half sister. And what had happen happened during COVID when they shut the country down. Kids eventually started having them do remote and then as it started to phase back, giving people the choice, you want to send your kids back or do you want them to stay remote? And so that was a sticky issue between Mike and Julie because Mike and Julie wanted Jade to finish the year just remote. Jessica wanted her back in school in person. I guess Mike and Julie ended up having a beef about it and where Mike's like, well, look, ultimately it's not your kid. Jessica's gonna have final say so over this thing. So I'm like, well, did you harbor resentment? Was that something that you would bring up in arguments? She's like, no, not really.

[Lauren Bright Pacheco]

I think that's really interesting because Julie was working at home for Hyatt, and Mike was working out of the house at Cracker Barrel. So if Julie wanted Jade to do remote learning, that puts the responsibility on her.

[Danny Trejo]

Right.

[Lauren Bright Pacheco]

Which speaks volumes to their relationship.

[Bob Mota]

Right.

[Lauren Bright Pacheco]

If you don't like a kid, you don't want that kid doing remote learning in your house. Sure.

[Bob Mota]

You want him out of the house.

[Lauren Bright Pacheco]

Because you have to, you know, police it.

[Bob Mota]

Right. Exactly.

[Lauren Bright Pacheco]

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

[Narrator 1]

He was a Boy Scout leader, a church deacon, a husband, a father.

[Witness]

He went to a local church. He was going to the grocery store with us. He was the guy next door.

[Narrator 1]

But he was leading a double life.

[Witness]

He was certainly a peeping Tom, looking through the windows, looking at people, fantasizing about what he could do. He then began entering the houses.

[Lauren Bright Pacheco]

He could get into their home, take something and get out and not be caught. He felt very powerful.

[Narrator 1]

He was a monster hiding in plain sight.

[Witness]

Someone killed four members of a family. It just didn't happen here.

[Narrator 1]

Journey inside the mind of one of history's most notorious killers. Btk, through the voices of the people who know him best. Listen to Monster BTK on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.

[Jon Stewart]

Jon Stewart is back in the host chair at the Daily show, which means he's also back in our ears on the Daily Show Ears Edition podcast. The Daily show podcast has everything you need to stay on top of today's news and pop culture. You get hilarious, satirical takes on entertainment, politics, sports, and more from John and the team of correspondents and contributors. The podcast also has content you can't get anywhere else, like extended interviews and a roundup of the weekly headlines. Listen to the Daily Show Ears edition on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Danny Trejo]

Welcome. I'm Danny Thrill. Won't you join me at the fire and dare enter Nocturnal Tale From Shadows Presented by iheart and Sonoro. An anthology of modern day horror stories inspired by the legends of Latin America. From ghastly encounters with shapeshifters to bone chilling brushes with supernatural creatures. Take a trip and experience the horrors that have haunted Latin America since the beginning of time. Listen to Nocturnal Tales from the Shadows as part of Michael Tura Podcast Network. Available on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast or wherever you get your podcast.

[Maria Tremarki]

Welcome to the Criminalia Podcast. I'm Maria Tremarki.

[Holly Fry]

And I'm Holly Fry. Together we invite you into the dark and winding corridors of historical true crime.

[Maria Tremarki]

Each season we explore a new theme, everything from poisoners and pirates to art thieves and snake oil products and those who made and sold them.

[Holly Fry]

We uncover the stories and secrets of some of history's most compelling criminal figures, including a man who built a submarine as a getaway vehicle. Yep, that's a fact.

[Maria Tremarki]

We also look at what kinds of societal forces were at play at the time of the crime, from legal injustices to the ethics of body snatching, to see what, if anything, might look different through today's perspective.

[Holly Fry]

And be sure to tune in at the end of each episode as we indulge in custom made cocktails and mocktails inspired by the stories. There's one for every story we tell.

[Maria Tremarki]

Listen to criminalia on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Lauren Bright Pacheco]

Now back to Murder on Songbird Road. So the portrait of Beverly as a mother and a stepmother that had begun to emerge from our preliminary interviews seems in keeping with the fact that the state never presented a motive or any testimony that painted Julia Beverly as abusive or violent. Instead, they offered a timeline confirmed by her employer's record, cell signals and surveillance footage. According to the prosecution, on December 5, 2020, Beverly was scheduled to work from home from 7:30am to 12:30pm but while she was scheduled to have a break from 9:30am to 9:45, Beverly was actually logged out of the work system from 9:30 to 10:15am it is during that 45 minute window that the prosecution contends Beverly brutally murdered Jade Beasley, meticulously removing all evidence of blood from her person before returning to her home office and typing text responses to customer inquiries and complaints on social media for an additional 50 minutes. Beverly then requested to end her workday early at 11:05am and was granted time off at 1107 when she logged off Hyatt's system. Beverly left the house by 11:36am the prosecution contends that was when Beverly departed with the bloody outfit she wore while committing the murder, the material she used to clean up, and the murder weapon. All of this fitting into the small bag she was captured on video discarding at Huck's gas station, where she said she stopped to get gas before realizing she'd left her credit cards at home. There are many issues with this narrative which we will address in great detail going forward, but one stuck out immediately to both Mata and myself as soon as we started reviewing the facts of this case. No blood was ever found in Beverly's home office, not Beverly's or Jade Beasley's. We will get back to the importance and probability of that in terms of the prosecution's theory. But back to Bob and I.

[Bob Mota]

Lead up to the 5th of December, which is that horrible day. I'm like, start from the minute you open your eyes, tell me what happened. I get the background about, like. Jessica had had another child, Jade's half sister, and there was a party that was supposed to be taking place that weekend. Julie had been told by both Jade and Mike that the party was taking place on Sunday. And December 5th is Saturday, and she's working that day. And she had pushed up her work schedule an hour. She wanted to get off an hour earlier. I asked her, was there a reason in particular that you wanted to reschedule and move that hour up? She's like, no, not in particular. Essentially, Mike's out of the house early by, like, 7:00. He's working the morning shift at the Cracker Barrel. And at that point, it's just Julie and Jade. She logs in remotely, keystrokes, the whole nine yards. They know when she's off, they know when she's on, they know what she's doing on her computer. About 8 o'clock, Jade wanders in and she's got, like, an office that's got a door. And I'm like, was the door closed? She's like, yeah, I typically will keep it closed. And she said, jade came in, I'm hungry, so we'll go make yourself a bowl of cereal. Says, okay. Closes the door, doesn't hear from her for a couple hours. And at some point, Jade apparently comes in and says, I'm hungry again. Julie's like, why don't we wait till lunch? It's in an hour and a half. We'll have a nice lunch. And she said Jade was upset about it, like she was frustrated. She's like, I'm hungry now. I Want to eat now? Julie's like, what's really going on? You can't be that upset because I don't want you to eat another bowl of cereal.

[Lauren Bright Pacheco]

It was at this point, according to Beverly, Jade confided in her as to a situation she was navigating with a friend from school. We are not diving into the specifics of that conversation because it is not our intention to sensationalize or exploit dynamics happening within an 11 year old's social circle. But it is an innuendo that has come up repeatedly in multiple interviews. We mention it now only because it could explain the initial misconception that Jade was processing something that could have prompted her to contemplate suicide. That conversation is also what Beverly says led to the extension of the break, which was supposed to last from 9:30 to 9:45am so what Julie tells me.

[Bob Mota]

Today is that she had gone on break coinciding with when Jade's in the room with her. And at some point this conversation's proceeding and Julie feels like she's not making any headway with her. And she stands up and she starts to usher her out. She's like, I gotta get back to work. My break's over. I'm already 10 minutes over. Go, go. We'll talk about it later.

[Lauren Bright Pacheco]

Mata pressed Beverly on the dynamic between her and Jade regarding the conversation.

[Bob Mota]

She's like, well, I got up when I was trying to end the conversation because I couldn't get her to leave the room. Cause I needed to get back on and, and continue to work and get logged back in because I'd been out for way longer than 15 minutes. Well, I'm like, do you remember what time you logged in? She said, I think it was like 10:13 is when I get logged back in. And I'm like, okay, at some point you stand up and she's like, yeah, and what are you doing? She's like, well, I'm walking behind Jade like this. You know, I'm behind her and I'm not pushing her violently. I'm just kind of like, all right, you got to go. So you get her out of the room. I mean, I'm like, did that devolve into a screaming match? Were you screaming at her? She's like, no, none of that. I was obviously upset. I was obviously frustrated. I got her out of the room. I told her to go to her room. And she's like, I logged back in.

[Lauren Bright Pacheco]

According to her login and keystrokes, we know that Beverly then returned to working, typing exchanges from 10:15am until she asked to wrap her day early and logged off at 11:07 during that window. Phone records also show that at 10:19, she receives a silly meme text from Jade's father, Mike, before replying, wow. Asking at 10:39 if he's already off work. He responds at 11:23.

[Bob Mota]

She gets a response that he's scheduled till 2, but probably gonna get off at 1.

[Lauren Bright Pacheco]

An important note. Beverly does not appear to have been forthright with the police about the conversation she had with Jade or the fact Jade wasn't happy about ending it. When Beverly had to get back to work and sent her to her room, one could argue that she didn't want to divulge the nature of the conversation or that she had disciplined Jade in order to protect Jade's memory. One could also argue it was to protect herself. Either way, she decides to end her workday early.

[Bob Mota]

So she says, okay, I've decided I wanted to do some retail therapy is what she calls it. I've got a bunch of people on my Christmas list. It's December 5th. I'm going to go to Walmart. I'm going to shop. So that's like at 11:07. And at that point I ask her, well, had you texted anybody that you were going shopping? She's like, no.

[Lauren Bright Pacheco]

So Beverly logged off from work by 11:07, and cell tower pings have her leaving the house by 11:36am here's how she accounted for those 29 minutes to.

[Bob Mota]

Bob, she's like, all right, well, I had to get dressed because, like, I, I don't have to get dressed to work. I'm in my pajamas, I got my clothes on, I brushed my hair, brushed my teeth, and I let dogs out. They have two decent sized dogs. One's like an Australian shepherd, the other's like a rot mix. So they're big dogs. I'm like, okay. And then you leave. And she's like, yeah, I leave. And I'm like, well, did you remember to let the dogs back in? And she's like, no. I'm like, well, if I'm law enforcement, it's extremely convenient that you've let the dogs out in the backyard when all this is taking place, whether it's you or an intruder. And I've done it. I've left my dog out, you know, if I'm in a rush. She claims that she'd just forgotten to bring the dogs back in when she left.

[Lauren Bright Pacheco]

This would become another of what Bob and I call bad facts for Beverly, as is the fact that Beverly left 11 year old Jade at home alone, especially since in Illinois it is illegal to leave a child under the age of 14 home alone. This is the highest age requirement in the United States.

[Bob Mota]

And so she's like, all right, well, I tell Jade, I'm going to be gone a couple hours, just play on your phone and you know, I'll be back. She's like, it wasn't unusual for us to leave Jayden and Jade. We'd never leave the little kids. But if it was like just a couple hours, like a 2 hour max, we would leave the 11 year olds if it was during the day. So I'm like, did you invite her? She's like, no, I didn't invite her. I wanted to clear my head. So she says she goes out, gets in the car, starts driving.

[Lauren Bright Pacheco]

Beverly says she was about halfway into her travels when she noticed her gas light was on and the car was on empty.

[Bob Mota]

She's at a red light and she opens her bag and she says she's got two purses. She uses a bigger purse when she's got the babies because she keeps diapers in there. And she's got a smaller purse that when she doesn't have the kids, she'll just carry the smaller purse around where she drops her cards in there and her id. So she says she realizes she doesn't have her debit card there. She continues on to hucks, pulls in, and then at that point she's like, sometimes I have to change the kids in the car. I had these diapers there. So I pull in and I dump these in the, in the garbage. I'm like, so you pull up to like a pump and you're using one of the garbage cans that they have typically between the pumps. And she's like, yeah, so then I obviously have to go home and get my cards.

[Lauren Bright Pacheco]

This is when the prosecution contends Beverly dumped bloody clothing, shoes, cleaning materials and the murder weapon, even though the surveillance footage from the gas station shows her discarding a small bag that easily fit in one hand. It's also of note that when her car was seized after the murder and placed in storage, it was indeed on empty. Back to Bob and what Beverly told him about returning home and sitting in the driveway in front of the barn situated to the side of the house, scrolling through Facebook before becoming aware, something seemed off.

[Bob Mota]

You can hear the dogs barking and not like, oh, mommy's home, but like that deeper, deeper bark, like, oh, there's a squirrel or there's another dog, like that real deep guttural bark that dogs can get. So she's got the dogs barking like that in the backyard, and this door is ajar. And what is going on here? I don't know if she's on high alert, but she feels like something is astray, like something seems off to her. And she claims that she goes up, she notices that the front door is open, the storm door is closed. I'm like, and you did not leave it that way. She was like, I did not leave it that way. And she claims that as soon as she pulls the storm open, that she notices blood in the living room. And somebody clad in all black, it's got a mask on, black gloves, comes charging at her and that he's got a knife. And I said, okay, where are you locationally? She's like, I am literally in the doorway of the house. Well, what do you do? She's like, well, I put my hand up because I. He's got the knife, like, above, shoulder height, drawn back. Well, what kind of knife is it? She's like, well, I don't know. Did it look like a kitchen knife? Like a chef's knife? Like, what we used to cut vegetables? She's like, yeah, it definitely wasn't, like, a folding knife. So I'm like, it was fixed blade, just a regular kitchen knife. She's like, it could have been. I'm like, could it have been one of your knives? She's like, it could have been. And so she claims that this guy comes at her. She puts her left hand up. I'm like, what handed are you? She's like, I'm right handed, but I had my little purse in my right hand. So instinctually, I put my left hand up and got a cut, and we wrestle around, and then I get away from him, and I make a beeline to Mike's bed stand because Mike has a gun in there. And while I'm on the way, I hear the storm door slam. And I'm like, well, do you go get the gun? It's like, I never get the gun. She's like, I didn't. I didn't. I don't know how to shoot it, but I thought if I would get it, I could scare him off. I'm like, so what stopped you from getting the gun? I was retelling this story to Allison again.

[Lauren Bright Pacheco]

Allison is Mata's wife and also a criminal defense attorney.

[Bob Mota]

And Allison's like, I don't care if you heard this, like, the storm door slam or not. I'm getting the gun whether I know how to shoot her or not getting the gun. So Allison had a little problem with that part of the story, that she didn't just go and get the gun. So at that point, I said, okay, what do you do then? She's like, well, I go to the bathroom. Our bathroom.

[Lauren Bright Pacheco]

That's when Beverly said she rinsed her bleeding hands and wrapped her left hand with a cloth because of the wounds to the side of the hand that took the brunt of the assailant's knife.

[Bob Mota]

Well, did you have to walk by the bathroom that Jade was found in in order to get to your bathroom? She's like, no, I didn't. Well, what's going through your mind at this point? She's like, I have no idea. Honestly, I have no idea. And then she says she wasn't even thinking, and then she's walking through, and then she sees the blood in the living room. She's like, oh, my God, Jay. She's walking past the bathroom, and she hears the water running. And she opens the door, and it's like a nightmare. It's like nothing she's ever seen. So I'm watching her reaction as she's telling me this story, and she starts crying. Authentically, it seemed to me. But you never know what the genesis of that is. You don't know if it's regret. You don't know if it's reliving it.

[Lauren Bright Pacheco]

What remains problematic for Beverly and was leveraged by the prosecution, is the amount of time their timeline purports transpired between Beverly's return home, encountering her alleged assailant, discovering Jade's body, and calling 911. That call was made at 12:24pm a full 31 minutes after the state contends Beverly drove up her driveway. We'll explore why that amount of time may be misleading later. Back to Bob.

[Bob Mota]

She says the Huck's video has her dumping the garbage at 11:48. Now, she claimed at trial that there was some evidence that came in that indicated that the clock was off, like, that the timestamp was off for the video. Now I'm asking, was it giving you more time or less time? And she's like, I can't remember. So we have 1148. So we've got the drive back to the house again, seven to ten minutes. So that puts us like 12:01, 12:02. A few minutes. Scrolling Facebook and then into the house. So it's like I was putting the struggle. A minute, a couple minutes, you know, like it's. It's 28:30 minutes, like gap from when, like she gets in there and doesn't do anything. That is our biggest issue. To me, we're going to have to build these timelines out like hardcore and it's going to have to be through things that we can substantiate.

[Lauren Bright Pacheco]

Murder on Songbird Road will return after the break.

[Narrator 1]

He was a Boy Scout leader, a church deacon, a husband, a father.

[Witness]

He went to a local church. He was going to the grocery store with us. He was the guy next door.

[Narrator 1]

But he was leading a double life.

[Witness]

He was certainly a peeping Tom, looking through the windows, looking at people, fantasizing about what he could do. He then began entering the houses.

[Lauren Bright Pacheco]

He could get into their home, take something and get out and not be caught. He felt very powerful.

[Narrator 1]

He was a monster hiding in plain sight.

[Witness]

Someone killed four members of a family. It just didn't happen here.

[Narrator 1]

Journey inside the mind of one of history's most notorious killers BTK through the voice voices of the people who know him best. Listen to Monster BTK on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.

[Jon Stewart]

Jon Stewart is back in the host chair at the Daily show, which means he's also back in our ears on the Daily Show Ears Edition Podcast. The Daily show podcast has everything you need to stay on top of today's news and pop culture. You get hilarious satirical takes on entertainment, politics, sports and more from John and the team of correspondents and contributors. The podcast also has content you can't get anywhere else, like extended interviews and a roundup of the weekly headlines. Listen to the Daily Show Ears edition on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Danny Trejo]

Welcome. I'm Danny Thrill. Won't you join me at the Fire and Dare Tale from the Shadows presented by iheart and Sonora, an anthology of modern day horror stories inspired by the legends of Latin America. From ghastly encounters with shapeshifters to bone chilling brushes with supernatural creatures. Take a trip and experience the horrors that have haunted Latin America since the beginning of time. Listen to Nocturno Tales from the Shadows as part of Michael Tura Podcast Network. Available on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast or wherever you get your podcast. Podcast.

[Maria Tremarki]

Welcome to the Criminalia Podcast. I'm Maria Trimari.

[Holly Fry]

And I'm Holly Fry. Together we invite you into the dark and winding corridors of historical true crime.

[Maria Tremarki]

Each season we explore a new theme, everything from poisoners and pirates to art thieves and snake oil products and those who made and sold Them we uncover.

[Holly Fry]

The stories and secrets of some of history's most compelling criminal figures, including a man who built a submarine as a getaway vehicle. Yep, that's a fact.

[Maria Tremarki]

We also look at what kinds of societal forces were at play at the time of the crime, from legal injustices to the ethics of body snatching, to see what, if anything, might look different through today's perspective.

[Holly Fry]

And be sure to tune in at the end of each episode as we indulge in custom made cocktails and mocktails inspired by the stories. There's one for every story we tell.

[Maria Tremarki]

Listen to criminalia on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Lauren Bright Pacheco]

Here again is Murder on Songbird Road. With that in mind, we head to Songbird Road the next morning after stopping for coffee along the way.

[Bob Mota]

So we're gonna start with a field trip over to what was formerly Mike and Julie and Jade's and the rest of the kids house. I'm curious to see the layout. Yeah, I want to see. I want to see where it's situated.

[Lauren Bright Pacheco]

I want to see how remote.

[Bob Mota]

Exactly. Or just like how close there is to anything, you know, like walking distance.

[Lauren Bright Pacheco]

Yeah. Now that we're driving out of the commercial district, you can see that it's feeling much more rural.

[Bob Mota]

It's very rural.

[Lauren Bright Pacheco]

While we were getting coffee, I asked the woman behind the counter if she'd heard of the murder that took place on Songbird Road. I thought she made a very interesting. She said, it's sad.

[Bob Mota]

It is. And it is.

[Lauren Bright Pacheco]

But she also had her doubts as to whether or not Julie did it.

[Bob Mota]

Exactly. And I asked her, what's your source? They didn't televise this trial. Right. So you're gonna get people that talk in a small town and you're going to get the local news. Like, those are going to be the two sources if they didn't go sit in at the trial. Right.

[Lauren Bright Pacheco]

Yeah. And often they intermesh.

[Bob Mota]

Exactly. Without us prodding. At the end, I kind of asked her, well, you know, do you think that Julie did it? She's like, I don't know.

[Lauren Bright Pacheco]

Yeah. And so she has doubts. That's the thing. The concept of reasonable doubt was never been properly defined. There is no blanket definition of what that means for jurors.

[Bob Mota]

There isn't. And every jurisdiction has a different definition for it. You get your jury instructions, and those are always argued between the sides prior to them getting issued to the jury when they're getting ready to go deliberate. There is no uniform definition of it.

[Lauren Bright Pacheco]

It was Friday, October 13, 2023. The same day Julia Beverly would be sentenced. It was a cloudy, warm day as we made our way through the winding rural roads. Halloween decor and some early seasonal tricks were on display.

[Bob Mota]

We get a little TP action. It's Friday night lights down here. I mean, it's essentially pink houses. You know, John Mellencamp too. That's what we're talking about. We're getting remote. We're two miles out.

[Narrator 2]

Turn right onto Fem Road.

[Bob Mota]

We know that the house, they disassembled it, repossessed it. Yeah, this is Songbird Lane. Can I just blow by it?

[Lauren Bright Pacheco]

No, no. Coming up. See, it's this hook in the road, I think.

[Bob Mota]

Okay, we're, we're back here. We're getting back here. All right, now we're turning on to Songbird Road, which is.

[Lauren Bright Pacheco]

Oh my gosh, there's a little baseball field. Is that a baseball field?

[Bob Mota]

Yeah. So she told me about this. They used to actually play little league games. It's grown over at this point. Looks like it hasn't been. And there's the old concession stand.

[Narrator 1]

Oh, it's so sweet.

[Bob Mota]

And so we're 2, 10 of a mile away from the house. Over to our left, we've got clearly a farmer, some abandoned cars. Some abandoned cars. Got like a little.

[Lauren Bright Pacheco]

Another abandoned baseball field.

[Bob Mota]

All grown up, over, clearly abandoned. All right, so this is a neighbor, small house, carport back there, and about.

[Lauren Bright Pacheco]

Three keep off my property sign.

[Bob Mota]

Yes. I mean, we're here.

[Lauren Bright Pacheco]

You can see where the, where the house was.

[Bob Mota]

Okay, so that's, that's the foundation of the house. That's the barn. Then should we go walk it?

[Lauren Bright Pacheco]

I think so.

[Bob Mota]

I think we should. I think we should. I want to pull in this little driveway. All right. All right, let's go see what's up.

[Lauren Bright Pacheco]

It's just like a bit of a makeshift gravel driveway. To the right are two giant, just vine overwhelmed, really mature trees that look like they've seen better days.

[Bob Mota]

Yeah. And I mean, these are hundred plus year old trees. These are old, old trees. They're actually kind of amazing looking trees.

[Lauren Bright Pacheco]

The two distinct trees that mark the driveway were the same trees Julia's cousin Nikki immediately recognized in the social media post the day of the murder.

[Bob Mota]

I don't know that I've ever seen a tree overgrown with vines like that.

[Lauren Bright Pacheco]

We walked further up the driveway, probably.

[Bob Mota]

About 50 yards from the road. Leads up to where I believe Julie would have pulled up. Okay, so this is what she referred to as the barn. She said that they used to have horses, and they used to keep horses in this barn back in the day. So she says when she gets back from her hucks trip, that she pulls up right here, and she says that the front door is open, and she notices it at some point. They had a fence back here for the dogs, which they've taken down. Let's walk it and see. So. And she said there was no access to the backyard because there was no gate in the fence. And so this would have been the. The backyard, the fenced in backyard where the dogs wandered, and there was no access to it. So she would have had to have gone into the house to let the dogs in. Because I asked her, you park here like you knew that you left the dogs out. But I asked her, did you text Jade to let the dogs in? And she did not. All right, so we see what used to be the modular home, the double wide, which was obviously removed. So it looks like it was, what, I don't know, 1200 square feet maybe?

[Lauren Bright Pacheco]

Yeah, one level. The house is no longer there, but the outline of where it stood is still visible, as are the remnants of what would have been water and electrical access.

[Bob Mota]

So we still got some of the piping from.

[Lauren Bright Pacheco]

So this is the foundation that they lay. It's literally just kind of tarped.

[Bob Mota]

Yeah, it's tarped, and it was cinder blocks. I mean, that was literally the foundation. So this. If this was the front door, this is where it went down with the masked marauder. For to believe that story, Even in.

[Lauren Bright Pacheco]

The exposed confines of the former home's footing, the area feels nestled in an isolating way. And unfortunately, this is not the kind of neighborhood where you would have ring cameras or no way.

[Bob Mota]

Yeah, I mean, this is rural. We're in farmland here. There's no question about it. So if we're looking at Songbird Road, got the neighbor to the left facing the road is probably about. The house looks to be about 150 yards, and it's about the same to the right.

[Lauren Bright Pacheco]

Yeah, the three are kind of equidistant, almost the three closest homes, and neither one is directly across.

[Bob Mota]

Yeah. And we're not close to any kind of main thoroughfare. So, like, the concept of somebody walking back here seems remote to me.

[Lauren Bright Pacheco]

You're not getting, like, casual foot traffic or somebody who is to rob because they think that there is something of great value in this.

[Bob Mota]

Zero chance of somebody just wandering around back here, you know, because somebody would have had to have known that Jade was home.

[Lauren Bright Pacheco]

Almost a year later, that exchange would come back to haunt us. But in this moment, we were walking through the remnants of a family's former life. Building materials strewn with broken bits of dogs, toys, and children's playthings. Reminders of lives interrupted. And one ended.

[Bob Mota]

So it's a pretty. She said it was about 2 acres, so I'm assuming it goes all the way to the back here. This is all their land. Looks like a recently cut down tree. It's rural.

[Lauren Bright Pacheco]

Yeah.

[Bob Mota]

I mean, it's so rural that if anybody's screaming in that house, I don't know that they're hearing it, because I'd say that that closest neighbor. If you're facing the road, it's probably about 150 yards.

[Lauren Bright Pacheco]

Yeah. On either side.

[Bob Mota]

Should we stop over there? I feel like we kind of should stop over there, see if the.

[Lauren Bright Pacheco]

Oh, I just heard.

[Bob Mota]

Look at that bird up there.

[Lauren Bright Pacheco]

It's a turkey vulture.

[Bob Mota]

Wow.

[Lauren Bright Pacheco]

Kind of ominous.

[Bob Mota]

Super ominous.

[Witness]

Wow.

[Lauren Bright Pacheco]

Yeah. You hear a thump and you look up and you see that.

[Bob Mota]

Yeah. Wow, that's interesting. I've never seen one up close like that. It's a good eye. Lauren knew that was a turkey vulture.

[Lauren Bright Pacheco]

It lent more than a slightly portentous tone to the morning heading into Beverly's sentencing. But we had one more stop to make along the way. Should we head to the gas station?

[Bob Mota]

Yeah, let's do it.

[Lauren Bright Pacheco]

The time it would take us to get there was only one of the surprises we were about to encounter. On the next Murder on Songbird Road.

[Bob Mota]

The great aunt ends up giving the victim impact statement on behalf of the family. There was like an undercurrent of real animosity that was religious just based in this family dynamic between these two different families.

[Lauren Bright Pacheco]

That being to say that those three children are being raised Christian, like as if it's vindication.

[Bob Mota]

Adamantly stated, it turned to Julie and said it with conviction. Raised as Christians looking directly at her. That make no bones about it. Darkness, the light, evil.

[Lauren Bright Pacheco]

Oh, that's what I wrote down.

[Bob Mota]

They're talking about witches.

[Lauren Bright Pacheco]

Are they alleging that this was some kind of ritual?

[Bob Mota]

It seems like it's.

[Lauren Bright Pacheco]

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

[Narrator 1]

He was a Boy Scout leader, a husband, a father, but he was leading a D double life. He was a monster hiding in plain sight. Journey inside the mind of one of history's most notorious killers, BTK through the voices of the people who know him best. Listen to Monster BTK on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.

[Jon Stewart]

Jon Stewart is back in the host chair at the Daily show, which means he's also back in our ears on the Daily Show Ears Edition 5 podcast join late night legend Jon Stewart and the best news team for today's biggest headlines, exclusive extended interviews and more. Now this is a second term we can all get behind. Listen to the Daily Show Ears edition on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Bob Mota]

It was big news. I mean white girl gets murdered, found in a cemetery. Big, big news.

[Narrator 2]

A long investigation stalls until someone changes their story.

[Bob Mota]

I like saw hoping that happened.

[Narrator 2]

An arrest, trial and conviction soon follow.

[Lauren Bright Pacheco]

He did not kill her.

[Narrator 2]

There's no way is the Real Killer rightly behind bars or still walking free. Did you kill her? Listen to The Real Killer Season 3 on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Danny Trejo]

You should probably keep your lights on for Nocturnal Tales from the Shadow Trust. Join me, Danny Trejoze and step into the Flames of Fright, an anthology podcast of modern day horror stories inspired by the most terrifying legends and lore of Latin America. Listen to nocturnal on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcast or wherever you get your podcast.