January 16, 2025 • 40 mins
The day of the sentencing, Bob and Lauren retrace the route Julia Bevely claims to have taken the morning of the murder with surprising results. Her increasingly polarizing fate is then decided in a packed Marion courtroom filled with contrasting emotions.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Murder on Songbird Road is a production of iHeart Podcasts
previously on Murder on Songbird Road.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
So I wanted to interview her. I wanted to get
factually what her side of the story was.
Speaker 1 (00:15):
Since Mota is still a licensed attorney, he was able
to meet with Beverly in privacy anytime.
Speaker 2 (00:20):
There were issues with Jade. Jessica would never communicate with Julie.
She would always go to Mike.
Speaker 1 (00:28):
This strained, if not nonexistent, relationship with Jessica could shed
some light on the lack of support for Julia in
the days and hours immediately following the murder.
Speaker 2 (00:38):
And so she's like, I tell Jade, I'm going to
be gone a couple hours. Just play on your phone.
I'll be back. She's like, it wasn't unusual for us
to leave Jaden and Jade.
Speaker 1 (00:47):
In Illinois, it is illegal to leave a child under
the age of fourteen home alone.
Speaker 2 (00:52):
And she claims that as soon as she pulls the
storm open that she notices blood in the living room.
It's somebody clad and all black. It's a man black gloves,
comes charging at her and then he's got a knife.
This was the front door. This is word went down
with the masked marauder for to believe that story.
Speaker 1 (01:13):
I'm Lauren brad Pacheco, and this is murder on Songbird Road.
(01:39):
Julia Beverly's sentencing was set for Friday, the thirteenth of
October twenty twenty three. Bob Matta and I were in
Marion to attend it in person.
Speaker 3 (01:47):
The woman found guilty of murdering Jay Beasley will be
sentenced today. That's happening at the Williamston County Courthouse at
one this afternoon. It took the jury less than two
hours to find her guilty on three counts, so first
degree murder.
Speaker 2 (02:04):
All right, So let's figure out what the hawks says.
Good morning, good morning.
Speaker 1 (02:11):
We're gonna head over to HWKS now, but there are
three hooks in the general vicinity.
Speaker 4 (02:17):
Which one did she go to?
Speaker 5 (02:18):
It's gonna be the one on the Yong Street, Okay.
Speaker 2 (02:21):
So the closest, the closest one.
Speaker 5 (02:23):
It'll be on the Young or Route thirteen.
Speaker 2 (02:25):
If there's one, that's two point seven miles on East
d Young. There's wayet okay, So that's not the one
five miles on West n Okay, Okay, Okay.
Speaker 4 (02:38):
We're heading there now. And then we're gonna head over.
What time are you guys going?
Speaker 1 (02:42):
Bob Mada and I were scheduled to sit down with
Beverly's mother, Renee, and her siblings before the sentence. Sing
On our way to High Towers home, we decided to
clock the time it would take us to get from
the location on Songbird Road where Jade was murdered to
the Hucks gas station where the prosecution containds Beverly disposed
of dents. Beverly maintained she was simply tossing dirty diapers
(03:03):
before turning around and heading home for her credit cards.
Turn right onto Corey League.
Speaker 2 (03:10):
Okay, so yeah, we're going the right way. Okay, So
if we're to believe the state's theory, she has committed
the murder at this point, Okay.
Speaker 4 (03:23):
Has washed up, thoroughly, washed up thoroughly.
Speaker 1 (03:27):
She would have had to have transported stuff, put it
into a bag.
Speaker 4 (03:33):
And unless she.
Speaker 2 (03:34):
Was about bloody clothes.
Speaker 1 (03:35):
And so she would have been wearing gloves or there
would be some kind of cross contamination.
Speaker 2 (03:41):
Right, and you're you're talking about a either a garbage
bag or plastic bag filled with bloody clothes and a knife,
which I'm assuming would be poking holes in the plastic bags.
Just common sense, all right. So we're going to take
this right the Corey League Road.
Speaker 1 (04:00):
And unless you double or triple wrapped that plastic bag,
you would have gotten some kind of blood on the
exterior as you were loading the stuff in it.
Speaker 2 (04:10):
There would have been some kind of biological material somewhere
in this car.
Speaker 1 (04:15):
A pointed out no blood belonging to Jade Beasley was
found anywhere in Beverly's car. There was a small spec
found on the wheel attributed to both Beverly and Jade's father, Mike,
which is not surprising given the shared use of the car.
Speaker 4 (04:31):
Back to clocking the drive, it was.
Speaker 2 (04:34):
About three point three miles from the house to the
gas station. We are three minutes into the drive. You
still got about two point five miles. It's not as straightaway.
You're having to slow down. Now. You have to try
to imagine what would be going through somebody's mind if
(04:55):
they just committed a brutal homicide like that.
Speaker 1 (04:59):
If you you are a compartmentalized killer, you are thinking,
look normal, don't attract suspicion, Drive slowly, right.
Speaker 2 (05:10):
Don't get pulled over. And I'm curious it doesn't seem
like this is a highly policed area back here. I'm
imagining it's either Marion or the county sheriff is the
only ones ever back here.
Speaker 1 (05:25):
But also houses are close to the road, and you
would be aware of dogs or children or you know,
running out into the road.
Speaker 4 (05:33):
You don't, you wouldn't tear through You're not.
Speaker 2 (05:35):
Yeah, you're not doing seventy five back here for sure,
Like I'm going thirty eight maybe.
Speaker 1 (05:41):
And that feels quick, yeah, and appropriate. The rural back
roads gave into more suburban sprawl as we got closer
to the young It is a blinking solar stop sign,
so there must be enough traffic on the road to
warrant that.
Speaker 2 (05:58):
That looks like a main Thoroughfarewell we just turned off of,
and this one does as well. It's relatively freshly paved.
Much more residential housing on this m.
Speaker 1 (06:07):
Street, higher end looking homes.
Speaker 2 (06:10):
For sure, newer built as well.
Speaker 4 (06:13):
Like permanent driveways.
Speaker 2 (06:15):
Yeah, and I would hazard to guess these were all
built in the last ten to fifteen years. It looks
like to me, we're about six minutes into the drive,
we're about a mile from the gas station.
Speaker 1 (06:27):
And it very much is a little suburban community nestled
around a cornfield.
Speaker 2 (06:32):
Yes, like I can guarantee that at one point this
was all farm land not too long ago, all right,
So we were on the stretch round nine tenths of
a mile. You can see the Marianne water Tower. We've
got a main thoroughfare door left over here.
Speaker 4 (06:49):
That looks like another church.
Speaker 6 (06:51):
I mean there.
Speaker 1 (06:52):
You can't throw a stone without hitting a church. A
lot of churches cast a stone without hitting a church.
Speaker 2 (06:57):
There you go.
Speaker 5 (06:58):
In a quarter miles, we're seven times.
Speaker 2 (07:03):
We're getting the young the hawkses.
Speaker 1 (07:05):
Yeah, and we're already seven minutes and thirty seconds in
about making that turn.
Speaker 2 (07:16):
Okay, so she's gonna getting her left lane here. It's
a two lane highway. We're hitting a light. Just beyond
this light is going to be the Hawks on the left.
Speaker 1 (07:32):
And you know what, I understand why she would have
pulled in there to turn around, because now we're in
a much more commercial, multi lane main road.
Speaker 2 (07:44):
And this makes me feel way better about her story
because this is the first and only light that we've hit.
This is where she claims that she goes into her
purse and realizes that she did not have her cards
with her when she told me the story last night,
she was like, well, it was like halfway this is
eyeshot of the Hawks. Yeah, okay, So that makes way
(08:06):
more sense to me why she would have just continued
to go to the Hawks for nothing else to turn
around to go back, you know what I'm saying. I mean,
that makes way more sense to me.
Speaker 1 (08:17):
We pulled up along the gas pumps at Hawks where
Julia Beverly was captured on security cam discarding a small
plastic bag.
Speaker 2 (08:25):
So we have three lanes of pumps, all of which
have garbage receeptacles in between the sets of pumps.
Speaker 1 (08:35):
And when we say garbage, I mean we're talking garbage cans.
We're not talking a dumpster exactly. But interestingly enough, the
one that we just pulled up to has contracting debris.
Speaker 2 (08:46):
Exactly in it. All right, So took us nine minutes
fifteen seconds to get here catching that light, which we
knew she caught the light as well when she realizes
that she doesn't have her debit card.
Speaker 1 (08:59):
This is important to note because the prosecution contends it
would have taken Beverly six to seven minutes to make
the drive. Google Maps approximate seven, but with having to
wait out the red light. It took us over nine.
Speaker 2 (09:11):
She pulls in, you know, because she has two young
children who are still pooping in diapers. Occasionally as a parent,
you know that there are times that you have to
change the diaper in the car. It happens. So she
has the bag with the poopy diapers, gets out and
she's going to I'm assuming opens the back door right
(09:35):
grabs the diapers. Maybe she reaches around grabs them, and
then she's gonna go dump right into this receptacle and
we'll have to ask her which one she went to,
if she went closest to, because I'm going to take
a walk and see where the camera is.
Speaker 4 (09:51):
Okay, but this is a busy, very busy, very busy street.
Speaker 7 (09:55):
Very if you were disposing of bloody clothes and a
murder weapon, right, would you do it in the broad
daylight in front of multiple people and by multiple people?
Speaker 4 (10:06):
These are gas pumps. You have somebody five feet away
from you at all.
Speaker 2 (10:10):
Times we're talking. This is in the morning on December fifth, daylight. Like,
this is a busy gas station. I mean there's people here,
a lot of people, a lot of traffic, a lot
of foot traffic, people getting in out of their vehicles.
All right, I'm going to walk up. I want to
see I think I could see a camera.
Speaker 5 (10:28):
There.
Speaker 2 (10:35):
She comes here, it's about an eighteen inch opening, dumps
the bag in here. Now, she would have gotten right
back into the vehicle. From what I've heard, they're able
to see her toss the bag.
Speaker 8 (10:49):
And I'm curious if we can see what type of
bag it was. Is it a bag from Kroger, like
the plastic bags they bag or groceries in or is
it a garbage bag that's it.
Speaker 1 (11:00):
We've confirmed that it does appear to be a plastic
shopping bag for Walmart.
Speaker 2 (11:05):
Exactly. So there's the camera.
Speaker 4 (11:07):
Oh there's another one over there.
Speaker 2 (11:09):
Okay, all right, so that would have been the one
that would have caught those pumps over there, I'm imagining.
Speaker 1 (11:15):
So this, So then that's even more suspicious because why
would you go to the closest pump where you can
be monitored by the person looking out the window.
Speaker 2 (11:24):
Exactly, there's twelve pumps, and this is a busy gas station,
and we're within forty five minutes in which she would
have been here, you know, and this hawks has a
full convenience store in here. I mean, small towns like
this has people get breakfast.
Speaker 4 (11:41):
Yet lottery slot machines.
Speaker 1 (11:46):
Why are you pulling up here if you don't want
to bring.
Speaker 2 (11:49):
A place possible to dump evidence of crime.
Speaker 4 (11:53):
And there's a recreation center right there.
Speaker 2 (11:56):
Yeah, like I mean that's a full park there, full
children park with a full playground in there.
Speaker 1 (12:03):
The Huck station on DeJong Route thirteen Beverly crossed over
oncoming lanes of traffic to pull into boasted heightened security
in keeping with the amount of money and traffic that
combination of business would attract. Standing at this very busy
gas station slash casino, it was pretty obvious there were
many places that would have been better suited for discarding
(12:25):
murder evidence, including the rural area surrounded by abandoned baseball
fields where the murder occurred.
Speaker 5 (12:34):
From that light, there's five businesses all that would have
been on the side of the road that she was
driving on, which all would have made more sense if
you're dumping evidence.
Speaker 1 (12:47):
And there was something else that Hucks was just a
block and a half away from another gas station, one
that was managed by Beverly's mother, Renee high Tower. Why
wouldn't Beverly have gone there if she was ditching evidence. Yes,
story does not make sense from the prosecution's standpoint right now,
(13:08):
for all the bumps that we're seeing from Julie's version,
it's not sensical from the prosecutions. Murder on Songbird Road.
We'll be back after the break here again is murder
on Songbird Road. The reality was that Beverly was about
(13:33):
to be sentenced for a crime she may not have committed.
That weighed heavily as we left the Huck station and
drove to Renee High Towers home.
Speaker 2 (13:41):
So we're going to head to Julie's mother's house, Renee.
Speaker 1 (13:45):
That home belonged to Renee's mother, who passed a little
over a year after watching her granddaughter arrested there. All right,
I think we're going to know it's Renee's home when
we see the Halloween decoration right. High Tower's modest home
situated about eight miles northwest of where the murder occurred.
When I Google map the address, the image that appeared
(14:06):
showed a large we still stand with Julie banner hanging
from the front porch, but we were anticipating a much
bigger display in person. Oh my gosh, you get to
see the Halloween decorations.
Speaker 2 (14:18):
I'll close and persp close, I'll.
Speaker 4 (14:21):
Grab my Do you want your notebook?
Speaker 2 (14:24):
I do?
Speaker 4 (14:26):
We get all the gear for Halloween.
Speaker 1 (14:29):
Renee high Tower had transformed her entire front line and
porch into an elaborate and creative protest display, with individual
vignettes targeting every individual she believes corrupt or at fault
regarding her daughter's conviction. Okay, now wait, we have to
look at these Danny boy bias. Justice sentenced the dishonorable
(14:51):
judge paint Huh severely blinded by tunnel vision toll wrong
storyline and tripped up, lost his memory and left wandering.
Speaker 2 (15:03):
Wow.
Speaker 1 (15:04):
She posted video of the installation on Facebook, but it
was even more impressive in person.
Speaker 2 (15:09):
Renee has a graveyard with nine headstones, all relating to
people that I think that she believes pretty pretty strongly
screwed her daughter.
Speaker 1 (15:20):
Oh my gosh, I'll look at the front They lied
and manipulated an investigation.
Speaker 2 (15:25):
Oh it's called the Shady Blue Cemetery.
Speaker 1 (15:30):
The artistry and humor intertwined with the anger that fueled
the hours that must have gone into crafting the incredibly
detailed pieces is daunting and somewhat heartbreaking.
Speaker 2 (15:42):
So this is what a mom fighting for justice. It's like,
look close and personal.
Speaker 4 (15:47):
This is what somebody who's out of fs to give.
Speaker 6 (15:50):
Yep, yep.
Speaker 2 (15:52):
Unless she's calling it less, she sees it, you know,
which I respect. So I'm a.
Speaker 4 (15:56):
Big fan of that. You know, all right, let's go
in this Danny boy, I don't know, I'll have.
Speaker 1 (16:02):
To ask.
Speaker 9 (16:04):
Order.
Speaker 1 (16:05):
It was indeed referencing local reporter Danny Vaye, who I
have found to be very candid and thoughtful in revisiting
his covering of the case.
Speaker 4 (16:15):
Oh yes he is, because there is.
Speaker 1 (16:17):
She even has the news flag attached to the microphone.
Speaker 4 (16:22):
Hey hi hi.
Speaker 1 (16:25):
Renee radiates a very grounded energy in person. She's direct
and controlled, quick to laughter at times, but otherwise pretty stoic.
It's not at all surprising. She was married to a
cop at one point and has two sons in the
armed forces. She favors non frilly, dark clothing, which compliments
her dark hair, which is often topped with a hat
(16:45):
of some sort. She's only about five foot one, but
there's nothing petite or meek about her.
Speaker 4 (16:51):
It's fitting. She's a manager.
Speaker 1 (16:53):
She comes across as one who gets things done. Upon
entering the house, we were immediately met by piles of
neatly wrapped and stacked Christmas presents, even though it wasn't
even Halloween yet.
Speaker 3 (17:04):
It was early makes piece.
Speaker 1 (17:08):
In real time we realized Renee wasn't ahead of Christmas,
but rather it was postponed when Julia Beverly was arrested.
Speaker 10 (17:17):
These are the presents sitting from three years ago. I'm
still waiting.
Speaker 1 (17:22):
Wow.
Speaker 4 (17:24):
Hey, I'm Lauren.
Speaker 10 (17:25):
This is my oldest son.
Speaker 4 (17:26):
Nice to meet you.
Speaker 10 (17:30):
And the puppies?
Speaker 2 (17:32):
Was that a cat or a puppy?
Speaker 10 (17:33):
Puppies?
Speaker 2 (17:37):
You watch your TV?
Speaker 4 (17:40):
I'm Lauren, Nice to meet you.
Speaker 1 (17:43):
We settled down at her dining room table with Renee
and Julia Beverly's oldest brother, Michael.
Speaker 4 (17:48):
And Michael, you flew in two days ago?
Speaker 11 (17:52):
Yes?
Speaker 4 (17:52):
Okay? And where where do you live?
Speaker 9 (17:55):
I'm in in California?
Speaker 4 (17:57):
Got it?
Speaker 1 (17:58):
Got Michael, like all of Renee's four children, is mixed race.
He's reserved, thoughtful, and clean cut, all in keeping with
his profession as an aviation mechanic in the US Navy.
Like all of her sons, he stands just under six foot,
towering compared to the petite sister he's traveled to support
it sentencing. He listens intently, taking in the two strangers
(18:20):
at his mother's table and their microphones.
Speaker 2 (18:24):
Property made the drive to Hawks thanks you're saying about
with nine minutes.
Speaker 4 (18:30):
So we caught the light.
Speaker 2 (18:33):
I spent a couple of hours many two and a
half freezon night, bought off the Williamson County Jail over
there time, ye Julia was saying.
Speaker 1 (18:41):
Stat Next to Renee are multiple large binders she's been
filling with every news clip, social media post, or official
record of the murder for which her daughter is about
to be sentenced. They're about five or six of them
and they're all full.
Speaker 10 (18:56):
I wanted to show you you guys were talking about
to mouse, Yeah, and this kind of shows you a
little bit the lay of it, the way it was
set out there, so you can kind.
Speaker 4 (19:08):
Of see high tower.
Speaker 1 (19:10):
Wanted to share photos of the crime scene that show
Beverly's car was moved before it was examined by the
crime scene investigator.
Speaker 10 (19:19):
So this one is the very first picture where Julie's
car is way there on the driveway, and then the
others we took to show where it's moved and This
is like a straight down vision of the house.
Speaker 4 (19:30):
Okay, So show me show me the car being.
Speaker 10 (19:33):
Moved where it was and where right here's her car
way up there right here, okay, and they moved it
over here for what reason, don't know.
Speaker 2 (19:45):
What's the timeframe of the car bed this is.
Speaker 10 (19:48):
You can see the ambulance are there, okay? And this
you see they're rolling out the tape here and her
car has been moved. Julie was still there when they
were rolling out the tape.
Speaker 4 (19:59):
So did they ask her for her keys or her
keys out the car?
Speaker 10 (20:02):
She was on the porch hysterical.
Speaker 1 (20:08):
I was trying to tell Bob they found a DNA
thing in the car.
Speaker 10 (20:12):
What they found in the car was little tiny specks
like the top of an eraserhead. It was only Joy's.
Speaker 4 (20:18):
Well, they did.
Speaker 10 (20:18):
Test and the DNA that was found in the car
was on the steering wheel, and it was Mike's because
they both drive the car.
Speaker 1 (20:26):
No, but it was if someone moved the car and
they had interacted with Julie.
Speaker 4 (20:32):
It's quite possible that that was transference. Quite possible.
Speaker 1 (20:37):
No acknowledgment of Beverly's car, ever having been moved, has
been mentioned. Not during the trial or in any official documents,
Renee has seen being moved at the crime scene by
someone other than Beverly. Aside, her vehicle wasn't processed by
the crime scene investigator until December seventh, two days after
the murder and after it had been moved into storage.
(21:00):
That leads us back to the evidence. The prosecution believes
Beverlely drove to Hawks to discard.
Speaker 2 (21:06):
So today we took the exact same round she took,
all rural until you hit the Young and that light
is like a half a block, So, like, that made
way more sense to me. It's frankly, that's where she's
turned around. She pulls into the Hawks to turn back
to go back to the house. You know, she's first
telling me the story and I'm like, why are you
(21:27):
still going to Hawks? That sucks to me, It doesn't
make any sense. So now when we did the drive,
it made way more suck.
Speaker 1 (21:33):
Because you realize you're on a multi lane, busy road
and you need to turn around. We went in and
looked at the security camera set up they have there.
She would have known, because you manage a gas station
that that would probably be the worst possible place if
(21:54):
you wanted anonymity or it's not very.
Speaker 2 (21:58):
Good to stop out in superiod, you know, it's like
because you're trying to tell yeah, right, exactly.
Speaker 9 (22:04):
Yeah, we did tell them about it, and they looked
and they didn't find it, right, nothing, nothing, Yeah.
Speaker 1 (22:10):
Because no, But then they then they go to the
dump and find three unrelated items evidence.
Speaker 2 (22:19):
Do you guys know, Like, there's no way in any
trial that I'm a part of as an attorney that
they're getting that into evidence.
Speaker 1 (22:26):
Ever, much was made by the prosecution of the extensive
search of the dump by investigators while they're digging at
the dump did end up unearthing a discarded shower curtain
and several random utensils. None of those things were linked
by DNA to the crime scene.
Speaker 10 (22:43):
When this officer was on the sand, sane crossed and said,
do these have any relation to this case?
Speaker 5 (22:51):
No?
Speaker 10 (22:52):
Any relation to any case?
Speaker 4 (22:54):
And Mary, it's the damage is done.
Speaker 2 (22:56):
There's the old saying that you can't unring a bell,
and you can take the skunk out of the jury box,
but you can't get rid of the smell, you know,
And that's exactly when when that when knives are introduced
of any kind in a juror's mind.
Speaker 4 (23:14):
I do not in.
Speaker 9 (23:17):
Terse.
Speaker 1 (23:17):
Thein was Julie Beverly's public defender. While preparing for Beverly's trials,
she lost two different second chairs before ultimately heading into
court unassisted. A second chair is a lawyer who assists
the lead attorney in court. Their role includes knowing key
documents and exhibits, taking comprehensive notes, and assisting in strategic
preparations for trial. Tom Slayton was thean's initial second chair
(23:42):
and interviewed Beverly in the first six months after her
arrest before going over to the prosecution. This conflict is
why a special prosecutor, Jennifer Mudge, was brought in. It
is hard to speculate as to why random items with
no connection to the crime or crimes were ever ruled admissible.
Speaker 2 (24:03):
I mean, that's incredibly damning.
Speaker 1 (24:06):
Because that gives them reasonable doubt of her innocence.
Speaker 2 (24:12):
It's there. I don't care what theme asks after the fact,
you know that, because people consider that just lawyering. Oh
it's a defense lawyer.
Speaker 10 (24:20):
Lawyer is That's exactly how it was portrayed in social
media because everybody, oh, they found their weapons. This is
what they were though they were rusted. One was a
small sickle and one was a breadknife.
Speaker 2 (24:32):
A breadknife the murder weapons. But like what gets portrayed
in social media is exactly what is going through the
jurors minds. It's it's like a mirror image. I always
say it, Like when I'm doing like Core TV stuff
or whatever, I always reference my Twitter account because I'm
very active about the cases that I'm covering on there,
(24:52):
and I know what the temperature is on cases in
terms of what the people who I consider to be
exactly who are the jurors in the box. This is
what their temperature is in terms of that defendant in
any case. And it's always the mirror image. And I
know from twenty years of doing this, that is what
the jury's thinking. It's going to mirror with the people
(25:14):
just regularly people that are following the case. That's what
they're going to be thinking.
Speaker 1 (25:19):
During the trial, Mike Beasley was not asked to be recognized.
Any of the items that were implied came from his house,
including a purple shower curtain brandishing a giant butterfly. No
shower curtain was reported missing from the crime scene, and
Renee says the couple wouldn't have owned one that looked
like that.
Speaker 4 (25:38):
The other thing that strikes.
Speaker 1 (25:39):
Me is so odd. There is no way that if
my daughter had been killed and my significant other had
wrestled with an intruder, that I would not be with
my I mean basically wife, well, the mother of two.
Speaker 2 (25:56):
Of your kids.
Speaker 10 (25:57):
Yeah, Michael was with me night when we took Julie
over to see him, and it was DCFS that got
there right when we did, right because she came up
and talked to Julie and she kind of told Julie
that she wouldn't be able to see her children, and
that did Julie start crying again, and she wanted to
talk to Mike because.
Speaker 1 (26:17):
The night of the tragedy, she's not allowed to see
her gay right, you know, she's not been formally charged
with anything, and she's not allowed to see her children.
Speaker 2 (26:27):
I mean, that doesn't surprise me. We can't pretend for
like one second that she's not the prime suspect. Again,
she's the last people, like last person to see Jade alive.
She's calling it in. She was at the scene, Like
I get it. Like that doesn't surprise me because that's
just how law enforcement operates, you know what I'm saying, Like,
the problem is that they formed the tunnel vision immediately
(26:51):
within I don't know how many minutes of speaking with
her in whatever cops are initially they're they're like like
in their minds, I don't give a shit what they're
saying in their reports. They're immediately like she's the one.
In terms of the relationship between Mike. To Lawren's point,
if I'm rolling up home and I see ten police
cars out there, or if I've gotten a call from
(27:13):
law enforcement and like, yeah, you need to get home
right now. There's something tragic has happened, and I'm speeding
home and they're telling me, well, your daughter's been murdered,
and they're telling me I can't talk to my wife.
I'm like losing my mind. The concept of him cutting
off all communications to this day without a word being
(27:36):
spoken between the two of them is beyond desire. And
that's not me saying that I think Mike's involved in a
mew wish reform, but it's a very befuddling situation for
me to try to wrap my mind around. It's crazy
to me.
Speaker 9 (27:52):
I've always thought that he's a passive guy. So Suly said,
these are.
Speaker 2 (27:56):
Same things, like she turned it completely non confrontation.
Speaker 9 (28:00):
Yes, absolutely, so you know she I feel like Julie
would kind of like would get her way, right, So
he's just kind of letting them lead him along, right,
So he just kind of will go with whatever. So
if Julie is not there, I kind of feel like
he would just listen to.
Speaker 2 (28:20):
Whatever whoever story.
Speaker 9 (28:23):
Yes, and you know, of course he's greeting at that point,
but he just he he kind of lets someone else
take over.
Speaker 2 (28:29):
Anyways, Julie, you guys spoke to him, he won't.
Speaker 9 (28:34):
He wouldn't answer. I try to get ahold of him
a couple of times he wouldn't answer. But me, I
didn't really have a not like a bad relationship with him.
But I've always been away, so I've seen him on
holidays and stuff.
Speaker 1 (28:45):
But and we were fine.
Speaker 2 (28:47):
But it wasn't like you guys want to.
Speaker 1 (28:49):
He didn't socialize outside of the gatherings.
Speaker 5 (28:52):
No.
Speaker 9 (28:53):
No, when when he was here, I socialized more with
the kids than him. He was just kind of he's
quiet and and he I don't know, Yeah, I feel
like he just he kind of let Julie lead him
in their life. No, I don't want to say like
he wasn't there for anything, but he just kind of
sat back and let her run the house. So I
think his mom also did that for him before.
Speaker 2 (29:15):
He met Julie.
Speaker 1 (29:16):
So if Julia Beverly was somewhat mothering in her relationship
with Mike Beasley, it's that same maternal nature that makes
her murder conviction so unbelievable to all her three brothers,
including the youngest one, Ricky, who joined us at the table.
He serves in the United States Air Force and for
years was in the Air Force on our guard.
Speaker 11 (29:38):
I was just shocked at first hearing that that supposedly
Julie did it, and you know, I'm running back through
tilhood memories. I'm just like, there's no way. It's like
it's like if some flat earther was like trying to
tell me that the Earth was flat, There's no way.
But they're trying to tell me, no, it's proof. Now
I'm like no, Like, I mean, that's what I know
my whole life. You know, I've known Julian my whole life.
(29:59):
All these examples about f didn't make sense.
Speaker 9 (30:01):
Yeah, especially because on holidays she will she'll have two
babies on her you know what I'm saying. She sit
at the kids table, she'll you know what I'm like,
she's she's a When we went to Salem for Nikki's
wedding and she's taking care of other people's kids like
all that, they all just went to her. No one
(30:22):
even asked her to because she just ended up watching
everyone's kids.
Speaker 2 (30:27):
She was a mom went through.
Speaker 4 (30:29):
Yeah, So what do you guys think is going to
go down today?
Speaker 10 (30:33):
Well, I'm almost certain it will be a denial. But
like I tell Julie, whatever happens today, it's a positive
move forward. I just hate that she's even in this position.
I think about what she's feeling going through it, and
it bothers me because I can't fix it.
Speaker 4 (30:52):
Yeah, but I mean, the truth means and that's the
thing I mean.
Speaker 1 (30:55):
I want to make it really clear all of you
guys cared about Jade. Yes, yes, you don't just want
justice for Julie on us, right, you want justice for Jade.
We'll be right back with Murder on Songbird Road. Now
(31:18):
back to Murder on Songbird Road. Next, we headed to
her sentencing, which took place in Williamson County Courthouse in Marion.
It's a boxy, modern brick building which was apparently built
in nineteen seventy one, with minimal use of windows who
as to maximize energy efficiency. The resulting structure resembles an
(31:39):
industrial warehouse. After clearing security, Bob and I sat in
the back of the small courtroom, which was clearly divided
by families and loyalties. Jade's relations sat to the left
and Beverly's to the right. Local reporter Danny Vaye was there.
Speaker 12 (31:56):
Julia Beverly was found guilty in February of murdering j
Beasley in twenty twenty, so it took about eight months
for the sentencing hearing to play out. After the conviction,
Beverly entered the courtroom today in handcuffs and an orange jumpsuit.
Speaker 1 (32:09):
I had not met Julia Beverly in person yet, but
heard her arrival before I saw her. The courtroom quieted
as a metallic clanking signaled the entrance of a petite
woman clad in an orange prison issued jumpsuit. Her steps slow, deliberate,
and waited by the heavy chains that shackled her briteite frame.
Her hair was down and long, the length underscoring the
(32:33):
time passed since her arrest nearly three years ago. Beverly's
face remained blank as she entered the room until her
eyes met with those of her eldest son, Jayden, who
was seated with Renee, and her brothers. She acknowledged them
all with a slight nod as her mouth gave way
to a hint of the smile I'd seen on her
social media, though heavier and short lived. Her face turned
(32:55):
somber again as she turned towards the bench. All but
the top of her head was engulfed by her chair.
Speaker 12 (33:00):
Once seated, Judge Stephen Green considering a motion today to
a new trial that was filed by the defense just
a couple of days ago, but Judge Green denied the
motion due to substantial evidence presented at the trial. And
before Green read the sentence, a family member from the
Beasley side was allowed to read a victim impact statement
saying that Beasley's death will continue to haunt the family.
Speaker 1 (33:22):
Mike Beasley was seated with a woman I recognized from
his social.
Speaker 4 (33:26):
Media posts as Brooke.
Speaker 1 (33:27):
They apparently worked together for years a cracker barrel, and,
according to their social media timelines, appear to have started
a relationship within months after the murder. This didn't go
unnoticed by Beverly's friends and family. According to screen grabs,
Renee has shared Brookes social media often appeared to target Beverly,
her friends and family, while very much implying she was
(33:51):
now raising Beverly's three youngest children as her own. In
one post, she snuggles Beverly's youngest son, who was born
after Beverly's arrest, with the caption I may not have
given birth to you, but you will always be my baby.
Another one shows the infant, whose name has apparently been
changed to Caine, wearing a Navy shirt emblazoned with the
(34:13):
words raised by an awesome Mama. Renee Higtower finds this
especially painful given her absolute lack of access to her
grandchildren since the murder. Pain that is further compounded by
the details of Beverly's birth while in custody of Williamson
County Jail awaiting trial. They remain deeply disturbing. We'll break
(34:35):
them down in much more detail in our next episode.
Back to the sentencing, this courtroom was packed.
Speaker 12 (34:41):
There was sixty people inside the courtroom to hear the
sentence and of increased police presence there.
Speaker 1 (34:46):
No recording was allowed, but mad and I were able
to bring in small pads and writing implements.
Speaker 12 (34:51):
Special Prosecutor Jennifer Mudge recommended a sentence of over forty
five years. The defense countered with a recommendation of the
minimum twenty years, and they say because Beverly had no
prior criminal history, Green said he took everything into account
and then handed down a fifty five year sentence.
Speaker 1 (35:08):
The reaction in the courtroom was as immediate as it
was polarizing.
Speaker 12 (35:12):
Some of the Beasley family were driven to tears as
they heard the sentence. Beverly was also in tears and
was allowed to hug multiple family members before being taken
into custody and escorted to the Williamson County Jail.
Speaker 1 (35:25):
After the sentencing, Mada and I compared notes.
Speaker 2 (35:29):
Watching the dynamics in the courtroom was really interesting because
I'm always on the other side of the bar. This
is really the first time I've ever been in the gallery,
like washing it as a straight up observer, and it
was really interesting. And we had gone in and we
had told Renee, look, we're neutral, we're Switzerland, and this
(35:52):
thing here right now.
Speaker 1 (35:54):
But there were only two places you could sit right
and there was no room on Mike's Mike's side and
Jessica's family.
Speaker 2 (36:02):
Side, so we had no choice. It was just a
really interesting dynamic. After the sentence was laid down by
the judge, we see these two opposite sides. We see weeping, sadness,
truly getting last hugs with her loved.
Speaker 1 (36:18):
Ones, sobbing as she hugs her eldest son, Yeah, Jade
and goodbye.
Speaker 2 (36:25):
And we see joy, which seems so.
Speaker 4 (36:31):
Odd.
Speaker 2 (36:31):
Doesn't cure anything, you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 4 (36:34):
It doesn't.
Speaker 2 (36:35):
It doesn't make anything better, It doesn't heal the wound.
I guess it's like it's the only form of justice
that we have. But the question that we have now
is it justice. It's not justice if the wrong person
has just been sentenced fifty five years in prison because
she didn't.
Speaker 1 (36:54):
Do it, and if she didn't do it, that means
whoever killed Jade it's still out the But what stuck
out to both of us was the theme of religion.
When Jade's great aunt on behalf of the family addressed
Beverly before her sentencing, the word Christianity was almost wielded
as a weapon, and that Beverly had not won because
(37:16):
the children would be raised Christians, and the victim impact statement.
Speaker 4 (37:21):
It was very interesting that when she.
Speaker 1 (37:23):
Listed Mike and Julie's three children, she really punched the
fact that they had changed her son, the infant she
gave birth to in jail, and they changed it to Cain,
as in canaan Abel, cana Abel witches Bible, Cain killed Abel.
(37:45):
Towards the end of that statement, Matas scrippled down something
and tilted his paper towards me. Holy shit, they think
they're witches. The last word was underlined.
Speaker 2 (37:56):
Darkness the light evil.
Speaker 4 (37:59):
Oh that's what I wrote down in the line, Like.
Speaker 2 (38:02):
They're talking about witches.
Speaker 4 (38:04):
This whole darkness cannot drive out darkness, right, that's wild?
All right, you have to get to the airport.
Speaker 1 (38:11):
So tomorrow I'm meeting with two of Julie's best friends,
one who still is local, can be good stuff. And
then Leah, Yeah, I'm gonna really hammer them as to
had they ever seen her loser temper, had she ever
complained about whether.
Speaker 2 (38:28):
Or not fucking witch? I want to know if they're wicked,
if they're.
Speaker 1 (38:34):
Yeah, because they allegend that this was some kind of
rich or.
Speaker 2 (38:39):
Something, because and you saw, like I saw, Renee's necklace
definitely had like some pagan symbal tree or some like
wicked like you know, I mean, it was definitely had
that vibe to it.
Speaker 6 (38:50):
It's a fascinating angle and it could be a motive
as to why this girl was railroaded, you know.
Speaker 2 (39:00):
What I'm saying, Or I mean, that kind of shit
is frowned upon down here.
Speaker 1 (39:05):
On the next Murder on Songbird Road, we uncover the
details of Beverly's treatment and custody.
Speaker 10 (39:12):
So I get every opportunity to degrade her, or belittle her,
or even torture her.
Speaker 1 (39:17):
They did it, and the controversy surrounding the delivery of
her son.
Speaker 9 (39:22):
The judge ordered Thomas would be taken as soon as
the umbilical cord was cut.
Speaker 4 (39:26):
I wanted to scream at that.
Speaker 1 (39:27):
Moment, before I face Julia Beverly in person, she doesn't
look like her mugshot. It's almost as if they wanted
to magnify the half black side of her. Murder on
Songbird Road is a production of iHeart Podcasts. Our executive
producers are Taylor Chicogyne and Lauren Bright.
Speaker 4 (39:48):
Pacheco.
Speaker 1 (39:49):
Research writing and hosting by Lauren Bright Pacheco. Investigative reporting
by Bob Matta and Lauren Bright Pacheco. Editing, sound design
and original music by Evan Tyer and El Chicoine. Additional
music by Ashra Kurtz. Archival elements courtesy of WSIL News three.
Please like, subscribe, and leave us a review. Wherever you're listening,
(40:11):
you can follow me on all platforms at Lauren brighte
Pacheco and email the show with thought, suggestions or tips
at Investigating Murder at iHeartMedia dot com. For more iHeart podcasts,
(40:39):
visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get
your favorite shows. Thanks for listening.
Murder on Songbird Road is a production of iHeart Podcasts
previously on Murder on Songbird Road.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
So I wanted to interview her. I wanted to get
factually what her side of the story was.
Speaker 1 (00:15):
Since Mota is still a licensed attorney, he was able
to meet with Beverly in privacy anytime.
Speaker 2 (00:20):
There were issues with Jade. Jessica would never communicate with Julie.
She would always go to Mike.
Speaker 1 (00:28):
This strained, if not nonexistent, relationship with Jessica could shed
some light on the lack of support for Julia in
the days and hours immediately following the murder.
Speaker 2 (00:38):
And so she's like, I tell Jade, I'm going to
be gone a couple hours. Just play on your phone.
I'll be back. She's like, it wasn't unusual for us
to leave Jaden and Jade.
Speaker 1 (00:47):
In Illinois, it is illegal to leave a child under
the age of fourteen home alone.
Speaker 2 (00:52):
And she claims that as soon as she pulls the
storm open that she notices blood in the living room.
It's somebody clad and all black. It's a man black gloves,
comes charging at her and then he's got a knife.
This was the front door. This is word went down
with the masked marauder for to believe that story.
Speaker 1 (01:13):
I'm Lauren brad Pacheco, and this is murder on Songbird Road.
(01:39):
Julia Beverly's sentencing was set for Friday, the thirteenth of
October twenty twenty three. Bob Matta and I were in
Marion to attend it in person.
Speaker 3 (01:47):
The woman found guilty of murdering Jay Beasley will be
sentenced today. That's happening at the Williamston County Courthouse at
one this afternoon. It took the jury less than two
hours to find her guilty on three counts, so first
degree murder.
Speaker 2 (02:04):
All right, So let's figure out what the hawks says.
Good morning, good morning.
Speaker 1 (02:11):
We're gonna head over to HWKS now, but there are
three hooks in the general vicinity.
Speaker 4 (02:17):
Which one did she go to?
Speaker 5 (02:18):
It's gonna be the one on the Yong Street, Okay.
Speaker 2 (02:21):
So the closest, the closest one.
Speaker 5 (02:23):
It'll be on the Young or Route thirteen.
Speaker 2 (02:25):
If there's one, that's two point seven miles on East
d Young. There's wayet okay, So that's not the one
five miles on West n Okay, Okay, Okay.
Speaker 4 (02:38):
We're heading there now. And then we're gonna head over.
What time are you guys going?
Speaker 1 (02:42):
Bob Mada and I were scheduled to sit down with
Beverly's mother, Renee, and her siblings before the sentence. Sing
On our way to High Towers home, we decided to
clock the time it would take us to get from
the location on Songbird Road where Jade was murdered to
the Hucks gas station where the prosecution containds Beverly disposed
of dents. Beverly maintained she was simply tossing dirty diapers
(03:03):
before turning around and heading home for her credit cards.
Turn right onto Corey League.
Speaker 2 (03:10):
Okay, so yeah, we're going the right way. Okay, So
if we're to believe the state's theory, she has committed
the murder at this point, Okay.
Speaker 4 (03:23):
Has washed up, thoroughly, washed up thoroughly.
Speaker 1 (03:27):
She would have had to have transported stuff, put it
into a bag.
Speaker 4 (03:33):
And unless she.
Speaker 2 (03:34):
Was about bloody clothes.
Speaker 1 (03:35):
And so she would have been wearing gloves or there
would be some kind of cross contamination.
Speaker 2 (03:41):
Right, and you're you're talking about a either a garbage
bag or plastic bag filled with bloody clothes and a knife,
which I'm assuming would be poking holes in the plastic bags.
Just common sense, all right. So we're going to take
this right the Corey League Road.
Speaker 1 (04:00):
And unless you double or triple wrapped that plastic bag,
you would have gotten some kind of blood on the
exterior as you were loading the stuff in it.
Speaker 2 (04:10):
There would have been some kind of biological material somewhere
in this car.
Speaker 1 (04:15):
A pointed out no blood belonging to Jade Beasley was
found anywhere in Beverly's car. There was a small spec
found on the wheel attributed to both Beverly and Jade's father, Mike,
which is not surprising given the shared use of the car.
Speaker 4 (04:31):
Back to clocking the drive, it was.
Speaker 2 (04:34):
About three point three miles from the house to the
gas station. We are three minutes into the drive. You
still got about two point five miles. It's not as straightaway.
You're having to slow down. Now. You have to try
to imagine what would be going through somebody's mind if
(04:55):
they just committed a brutal homicide like that.
Speaker 1 (04:59):
If you you are a compartmentalized killer, you are thinking,
look normal, don't attract suspicion, Drive slowly, right.
Speaker 2 (05:10):
Don't get pulled over. And I'm curious it doesn't seem
like this is a highly policed area back here. I'm
imagining it's either Marion or the county sheriff is the
only ones ever back here.
Speaker 1 (05:25):
But also houses are close to the road, and you
would be aware of dogs or children or you know,
running out into the road.
Speaker 4 (05:33):
You don't, you wouldn't tear through You're not.
Speaker 2 (05:35):
Yeah, you're not doing seventy five back here for sure,
Like I'm going thirty eight maybe.
Speaker 1 (05:41):
And that feels quick, yeah, and appropriate. The rural back
roads gave into more suburban sprawl as we got closer
to the young It is a blinking solar stop sign,
so there must be enough traffic on the road to
warrant that.
Speaker 2 (05:58):
That looks like a main Thoroughfarewell we just turned off of,
and this one does as well. It's relatively freshly paved.
Much more residential housing on this m.
Speaker 1 (06:07):
Street, higher end looking homes.
Speaker 2 (06:10):
For sure, newer built as well.
Speaker 4 (06:13):
Like permanent driveways.
Speaker 2 (06:15):
Yeah, and I would hazard to guess these were all
built in the last ten to fifteen years. It looks
like to me, we're about six minutes into the drive,
we're about a mile from the gas station.
Speaker 1 (06:27):
And it very much is a little suburban community nestled
around a cornfield.
Speaker 2 (06:32):
Yes, like I can guarantee that at one point this
was all farm land not too long ago, all right,
So we were on the stretch round nine tenths of
a mile. You can see the Marianne water Tower. We've
got a main thoroughfare door left over here.
Speaker 4 (06:49):
That looks like another church.
Speaker 6 (06:51):
I mean there.
Speaker 1 (06:52):
You can't throw a stone without hitting a church. A
lot of churches cast a stone without hitting a church.
Speaker 2 (06:57):
There you go.
Speaker 5 (06:58):
In a quarter miles, we're seven times.
Speaker 2 (07:03):
We're getting the young the hawkses.
Speaker 1 (07:05):
Yeah, and we're already seven minutes and thirty seconds in
about making that turn.
Speaker 2 (07:16):
Okay, so she's gonna getting her left lane here. It's
a two lane highway. We're hitting a light. Just beyond
this light is going to be the Hawks on the left.
Speaker 1 (07:32):
And you know what, I understand why she would have
pulled in there to turn around, because now we're in
a much more commercial, multi lane main road.
Speaker 2 (07:44):
And this makes me feel way better about her story
because this is the first and only light that we've hit.
This is where she claims that she goes into her
purse and realizes that she did not have her cards
with her when she told me the story last night,
she was like, well, it was like halfway this is
eyeshot of the Hawks. Yeah, okay, So that makes way
(08:06):
more sense to me why she would have just continued
to go to the Hawks for nothing else to turn
around to go back, you know what I'm saying. I mean,
that makes way more sense to me.
Speaker 1 (08:17):
We pulled up along the gas pumps at Hawks where
Julia Beverly was captured on security cam discarding a small
plastic bag.
Speaker 2 (08:25):
So we have three lanes of pumps, all of which
have garbage receeptacles in between the sets of pumps.
Speaker 1 (08:35):
And when we say garbage, I mean we're talking garbage cans.
We're not talking a dumpster exactly. But interestingly enough, the
one that we just pulled up to has contracting debris.
Speaker 2 (08:46):
Exactly in it. All right, So took us nine minutes
fifteen seconds to get here catching that light, which we
knew she caught the light as well when she realizes
that she doesn't have her debit card.
Speaker 1 (08:59):
This is important to note because the prosecution contends it
would have taken Beverly six to seven minutes to make
the drive. Google Maps approximate seven, but with having to
wait out the red light. It took us over nine.
Speaker 2 (09:11):
She pulls in, you know, because she has two young
children who are still pooping in diapers. Occasionally as a parent,
you know that there are times that you have to
change the diaper in the car. It happens. So she
has the bag with the poopy diapers, gets out and
she's going to I'm assuming opens the back door right
(09:35):
grabs the diapers. Maybe she reaches around grabs them, and
then she's gonna go dump right into this receptacle and
we'll have to ask her which one she went to,
if she went closest to, because I'm going to take
a walk and see where the camera is.
Speaker 4 (09:51):
Okay, but this is a busy, very busy, very busy street.
Speaker 7 (09:55):
Very if you were disposing of bloody clothes and a
murder weapon, right, would you do it in the broad
daylight in front of multiple people and by multiple people?
Speaker 4 (10:06):
These are gas pumps. You have somebody five feet away
from you at all.
Speaker 2 (10:10):
Times we're talking. This is in the morning on December fifth, daylight. Like,
this is a busy gas station. I mean there's people here,
a lot of people, a lot of traffic, a lot
of foot traffic, people getting in out of their vehicles.
All right, I'm going to walk up. I want to
see I think I could see a camera.
Speaker 5 (10:28):
There.
Speaker 2 (10:35):
She comes here, it's about an eighteen inch opening, dumps
the bag in here. Now, she would have gotten right
back into the vehicle. From what I've heard, they're able
to see her toss the bag.
Speaker 8 (10:49):
And I'm curious if we can see what type of
bag it was. Is it a bag from Kroger, like
the plastic bags they bag or groceries in or is
it a garbage bag that's it.
Speaker 1 (11:00):
We've confirmed that it does appear to be a plastic
shopping bag for Walmart.
Speaker 2 (11:05):
Exactly. So there's the camera.
Speaker 4 (11:07):
Oh there's another one over there.
Speaker 2 (11:09):
Okay, all right, so that would have been the one
that would have caught those pumps over there, I'm imagining.
Speaker 1 (11:15):
So this, So then that's even more suspicious because why
would you go to the closest pump where you can
be monitored by the person looking out the window.
Speaker 2 (11:24):
Exactly, there's twelve pumps, and this is a busy gas station,
and we're within forty five minutes in which she would
have been here, you know, and this hawks has a
full convenience store in here. I mean, small towns like
this has people get breakfast.
Speaker 4 (11:41):
Yet lottery slot machines.
Speaker 1 (11:46):
Why are you pulling up here if you don't want
to bring.
Speaker 2 (11:49):
A place possible to dump evidence of crime.
Speaker 4 (11:53):
And there's a recreation center right there.
Speaker 2 (11:56):
Yeah, like I mean that's a full park there, full
children park with a full playground in there.
Speaker 1 (12:03):
The Huck station on DeJong Route thirteen Beverly crossed over
oncoming lanes of traffic to pull into boasted heightened security
in keeping with the amount of money and traffic that
combination of business would attract. Standing at this very busy
gas station slash casino, it was pretty obvious there were
many places that would have been better suited for discarding
(12:25):
murder evidence, including the rural area surrounded by abandoned baseball
fields where the murder occurred.
Speaker 5 (12:34):
From that light, there's five businesses all that would have
been on the side of the road that she was
driving on, which all would have made more sense if
you're dumping evidence.
Speaker 1 (12:47):
And there was something else that Hucks was just a
block and a half away from another gas station, one
that was managed by Beverly's mother, Renee high Tower. Why
wouldn't Beverly have gone there if she was ditching evidence. Yes,
story does not make sense from the prosecution's standpoint right now,
(13:08):
for all the bumps that we're seeing from Julie's version,
it's not sensical from the prosecutions. Murder on Songbird Road.
We'll be back after the break here again is murder
on Songbird Road. The reality was that Beverly was about
(13:33):
to be sentenced for a crime she may not have committed.
That weighed heavily as we left the Huck station and
drove to Renee High Towers home.
Speaker 2 (13:41):
So we're going to head to Julie's mother's house, Renee.
Speaker 1 (13:45):
That home belonged to Renee's mother, who passed a little
over a year after watching her granddaughter arrested there. All right,
I think we're going to know it's Renee's home when
we see the Halloween decoration right. High Tower's modest home
situated about eight miles northwest of where the murder occurred.
When I Google map the address, the image that appeared
(14:06):
showed a large we still stand with Julie banner hanging
from the front porch, but we were anticipating a much
bigger display in person. Oh my gosh, you get to
see the Halloween decorations.
Speaker 2 (14:18):
I'll close and persp close, I'll.
Speaker 4 (14:21):
Grab my Do you want your notebook?
Speaker 2 (14:24):
I do?
Speaker 4 (14:26):
We get all the gear for Halloween.
Speaker 1 (14:29):
Renee high Tower had transformed her entire front line and
porch into an elaborate and creative protest display, with individual
vignettes targeting every individual she believes corrupt or at fault
regarding her daughter's conviction. Okay, now wait, we have to
look at these Danny boy bias. Justice sentenced the dishonorable
(14:51):
judge paint Huh severely blinded by tunnel vision toll wrong
storyline and tripped up, lost his memory and left wandering.
Speaker 2 (15:03):
Wow.
Speaker 1 (15:04):
She posted video of the installation on Facebook, but it
was even more impressive in person.
Speaker 2 (15:09):
Renee has a graveyard with nine headstones, all relating to
people that I think that she believes pretty pretty strongly
screwed her daughter.
Speaker 1 (15:20):
Oh my gosh, I'll look at the front They lied
and manipulated an investigation.
Speaker 2 (15:25):
Oh it's called the Shady Blue Cemetery.
Speaker 1 (15:30):
The artistry and humor intertwined with the anger that fueled
the hours that must have gone into crafting the incredibly
detailed pieces is daunting and somewhat heartbreaking.
Speaker 2 (15:42):
So this is what a mom fighting for justice. It's like,
look close and personal.
Speaker 4 (15:47):
This is what somebody who's out of fs to give.
Speaker 6 (15:50):
Yep, yep.
Speaker 2 (15:52):
Unless she's calling it less, she sees it, you know,
which I respect. So I'm a.
Speaker 4 (15:56):
Big fan of that. You know, all right, let's go
in this Danny boy, I don't know, I'll have.
Speaker 1 (16:02):
To ask.
Speaker 9 (16:04):
Order.
Speaker 1 (16:05):
It was indeed referencing local reporter Danny Vaye, who I
have found to be very candid and thoughtful in revisiting
his covering of the case.
Speaker 4 (16:15):
Oh yes he is, because there is.
Speaker 1 (16:17):
She even has the news flag attached to the microphone.
Speaker 4 (16:22):
Hey hi hi.
Speaker 1 (16:25):
Renee radiates a very grounded energy in person. She's direct
and controlled, quick to laughter at times, but otherwise pretty stoic.
It's not at all surprising. She was married to a
cop at one point and has two sons in the
armed forces. She favors non frilly, dark clothing, which compliments
her dark hair, which is often topped with a hat
(16:45):
of some sort. She's only about five foot one, but
there's nothing petite or meek about her.
Speaker 4 (16:51):
It's fitting. She's a manager.
Speaker 1 (16:53):
She comes across as one who gets things done. Upon
entering the house, we were immediately met by piles of
neatly wrapped and stacked Christmas presents, even though it wasn't
even Halloween yet.
Speaker 3 (17:04):
It was early makes piece.
Speaker 1 (17:08):
In real time we realized Renee wasn't ahead of Christmas,
but rather it was postponed when Julia Beverly was arrested.
Speaker 10 (17:17):
These are the presents sitting from three years ago. I'm
still waiting.
Speaker 1 (17:22):
Wow.
Speaker 4 (17:24):
Hey, I'm Lauren.
Speaker 10 (17:25):
This is my oldest son.
Speaker 4 (17:26):
Nice to meet you.
Speaker 10 (17:30):
And the puppies?
Speaker 2 (17:32):
Was that a cat or a puppy?
Speaker 10 (17:33):
Puppies?
Speaker 2 (17:37):
You watch your TV?
Speaker 4 (17:40):
I'm Lauren, Nice to meet you.
Speaker 1 (17:43):
We settled down at her dining room table with Renee
and Julia Beverly's oldest brother, Michael.
Speaker 4 (17:48):
And Michael, you flew in two days ago?
Speaker 11 (17:52):
Yes?
Speaker 4 (17:52):
Okay? And where where do you live?
Speaker 9 (17:55):
I'm in in California?
Speaker 4 (17:57):
Got it?
Speaker 1 (17:58):
Got Michael, like all of Renee's four children, is mixed race.
He's reserved, thoughtful, and clean cut, all in keeping with
his profession as an aviation mechanic in the US Navy.
Like all of her sons, he stands just under six foot,
towering compared to the petite sister he's traveled to support
it sentencing. He listens intently, taking in the two strangers
(18:20):
at his mother's table and their microphones.
Speaker 2 (18:24):
Property made the drive to Hawks thanks you're saying about
with nine minutes.
Speaker 4 (18:30):
So we caught the light.
Speaker 2 (18:33):
I spent a couple of hours many two and a
half freezon night, bought off the Williamson County Jail over
there time, ye Julia was saying.
Speaker 1 (18:41):
Stat Next to Renee are multiple large binders she's been
filling with every news clip, social media post, or official
record of the murder for which her daughter is about
to be sentenced. They're about five or six of them
and they're all full.
Speaker 10 (18:56):
I wanted to show you you guys were talking about
to mouse, Yeah, and this kind of shows you a
little bit the lay of it, the way it was
set out there, so you can kind.
Speaker 4 (19:08):
Of see high tower.
Speaker 1 (19:10):
Wanted to share photos of the crime scene that show
Beverly's car was moved before it was examined by the
crime scene investigator.
Speaker 10 (19:19):
So this one is the very first picture where Julie's
car is way there on the driveway, and then the
others we took to show where it's moved and This
is like a straight down vision of the house.
Speaker 4 (19:30):
Okay, So show me show me the car being.
Speaker 10 (19:33):
Moved where it was and where right here's her car
way up there right here, okay, and they moved it
over here for what reason, don't know.
Speaker 2 (19:45):
What's the timeframe of the car bed this is.
Speaker 10 (19:48):
You can see the ambulance are there, okay? And this
you see they're rolling out the tape here and her
car has been moved. Julie was still there when they
were rolling out the tape.
Speaker 4 (19:59):
So did they ask her for her keys or her
keys out the car?
Speaker 10 (20:02):
She was on the porch hysterical.
Speaker 1 (20:08):
I was trying to tell Bob they found a DNA
thing in the car.
Speaker 10 (20:12):
What they found in the car was little tiny specks
like the top of an eraserhead. It was only Joy's.
Speaker 4 (20:18):
Well, they did.
Speaker 10 (20:18):
Test and the DNA that was found in the car
was on the steering wheel, and it was Mike's because
they both drive the car.
Speaker 1 (20:26):
No, but it was if someone moved the car and
they had interacted with Julie.
Speaker 4 (20:32):
It's quite possible that that was transference. Quite possible.
Speaker 1 (20:37):
No acknowledgment of Beverly's car, ever having been moved, has
been mentioned. Not during the trial or in any official documents,
Renee has seen being moved at the crime scene by
someone other than Beverly. Aside, her vehicle wasn't processed by
the crime scene investigator until December seventh, two days after
the murder and after it had been moved into storage.
(21:00):
That leads us back to the evidence. The prosecution believes
Beverlely drove to Hawks to discard.
Speaker 2 (21:06):
So today we took the exact same round she took,
all rural until you hit the Young and that light
is like a half a block, So, like, that made
way more sense to me. It's frankly, that's where she's
turned around. She pulls into the Hawks to turn back
to go back to the house. You know, she's first
telling me the story and I'm like, why are you
(21:27):
still going to Hawks? That sucks to me, It doesn't
make any sense. So now when we did the drive,
it made way more suck.
Speaker 1 (21:33):
Because you realize you're on a multi lane, busy road
and you need to turn around. We went in and
looked at the security camera set up they have there.
She would have known, because you manage a gas station
that that would probably be the worst possible place if
(21:54):
you wanted anonymity or it's not very.
Speaker 2 (21:58):
Good to stop out in superiod, you know, it's like
because you're trying to tell yeah, right, exactly.
Speaker 9 (22:04):
Yeah, we did tell them about it, and they looked
and they didn't find it, right, nothing, nothing, Yeah.
Speaker 1 (22:10):
Because no, But then they then they go to the
dump and find three unrelated items evidence.
Speaker 2 (22:19):
Do you guys know, Like, there's no way in any
trial that I'm a part of as an attorney that
they're getting that into evidence.
Speaker 1 (22:26):
Ever, much was made by the prosecution of the extensive
search of the dump by investigators while they're digging at
the dump did end up unearthing a discarded shower curtain
and several random utensils. None of those things were linked
by DNA to the crime scene.
Speaker 10 (22:43):
When this officer was on the sand, sane crossed and said,
do these have any relation to this case?
Speaker 5 (22:51):
No?
Speaker 10 (22:52):
Any relation to any case?
Speaker 4 (22:54):
And Mary, it's the damage is done.
Speaker 2 (22:56):
There's the old saying that you can't unring a bell,
and you can take the skunk out of the jury box,
but you can't get rid of the smell, you know,
And that's exactly when when that when knives are introduced
of any kind in a juror's mind.
Speaker 4 (23:14):
I do not in.
Speaker 9 (23:17):
Terse.
Speaker 1 (23:17):
Thein was Julie Beverly's public defender. While preparing for Beverly's trials,
she lost two different second chairs before ultimately heading into
court unassisted. A second chair is a lawyer who assists
the lead attorney in court. Their role includes knowing key
documents and exhibits, taking comprehensive notes, and assisting in strategic
preparations for trial. Tom Slayton was thean's initial second chair
(23:42):
and interviewed Beverly in the first six months after her
arrest before going over to the prosecution. This conflict is
why a special prosecutor, Jennifer Mudge, was brought in. It
is hard to speculate as to why random items with
no connection to the crime or crimes were ever ruled admissible.
Speaker 2 (24:03):
I mean, that's incredibly damning.
Speaker 1 (24:06):
Because that gives them reasonable doubt of her innocence.
Speaker 2 (24:12):
It's there. I don't care what theme asks after the fact,
you know that, because people consider that just lawyering. Oh
it's a defense lawyer.
Speaker 10 (24:20):
Lawyer is That's exactly how it was portrayed in social
media because everybody, oh, they found their weapons. This is
what they were though they were rusted. One was a
small sickle and one was a breadknife.
Speaker 2 (24:32):
A breadknife the murder weapons. But like what gets portrayed
in social media is exactly what is going through the
jurors minds. It's it's like a mirror image. I always
say it, Like when I'm doing like Core TV stuff
or whatever, I always reference my Twitter account because I'm
very active about the cases that I'm covering on there,
(24:52):
and I know what the temperature is on cases in
terms of what the people who I consider to be
exactly who are the jurors in the box. This is
what their temperature is in terms of that defendant in
any case. And it's always the mirror image. And I
know from twenty years of doing this, that is what
the jury's thinking. It's going to mirror with the people
(25:14):
just regularly people that are following the case. That's what
they're going to be thinking.
Speaker 1 (25:19):
During the trial, Mike Beasley was not asked to be recognized.
Any of the items that were implied came from his house,
including a purple shower curtain brandishing a giant butterfly. No
shower curtain was reported missing from the crime scene, and
Renee says the couple wouldn't have owned one that looked
like that.
Speaker 4 (25:38):
The other thing that strikes.
Speaker 1 (25:39):
Me is so odd. There is no way that if
my daughter had been killed and my significant other had
wrestled with an intruder, that I would not be with
my I mean basically wife, well, the mother of two.
Speaker 2 (25:56):
Of your kids.
Speaker 10 (25:57):
Yeah, Michael was with me night when we took Julie
over to see him, and it was DCFS that got
there right when we did, right because she came up
and talked to Julie and she kind of told Julie
that she wouldn't be able to see her children, and
that did Julie start crying again, and she wanted to
talk to Mike because.
Speaker 1 (26:17):
The night of the tragedy, she's not allowed to see
her gay right, you know, she's not been formally charged
with anything, and she's not allowed to see her children.
Speaker 2 (26:27):
I mean, that doesn't surprise me. We can't pretend for
like one second that she's not the prime suspect. Again,
she's the last people, like last person to see Jade alive.
She's calling it in. She was at the scene, Like
I get it. Like that doesn't surprise me because that's
just how law enforcement operates, you know what I'm saying, Like,
the problem is that they formed the tunnel vision immediately
(26:51):
within I don't know how many minutes of speaking with
her in whatever cops are initially they're they're like like
in their minds, I don't give a shit what they're
saying in their reports. They're immediately like she's the one.
In terms of the relationship between Mike. To Lawren's point,
if I'm rolling up home and I see ten police
cars out there, or if I've gotten a call from
(27:13):
law enforcement and like, yeah, you need to get home
right now. There's something tragic has happened, and I'm speeding
home and they're telling me, well, your daughter's been murdered,
and they're telling me I can't talk to my wife.
I'm like losing my mind. The concept of him cutting
off all communications to this day without a word being
(27:36):
spoken between the two of them is beyond desire. And
that's not me saying that I think Mike's involved in a
mew wish reform, but it's a very befuddling situation for
me to try to wrap my mind around. It's crazy
to me.
Speaker 9 (27:52):
I've always thought that he's a passive guy. So Suly said,
these are.
Speaker 2 (27:56):
Same things, like she turned it completely non confrontation.
Speaker 9 (28:00):
Yes, absolutely, so you know she I feel like Julie
would kind of like would get her way, right, So
he's just kind of letting them lead him along, right,
So he just kind of will go with whatever. So
if Julie is not there, I kind of feel like
he would just listen to.
Speaker 2 (28:20):
Whatever whoever story.
Speaker 9 (28:23):
Yes, and you know, of course he's greeting at that point,
but he just he he kind of lets someone else
take over.
Speaker 2 (28:29):
Anyways, Julie, you guys spoke to him, he won't.
Speaker 9 (28:34):
He wouldn't answer. I try to get ahold of him
a couple of times he wouldn't answer. But me, I
didn't really have a not like a bad relationship with him.
But I've always been away, so I've seen him on
holidays and stuff.
Speaker 1 (28:45):
But and we were fine.
Speaker 2 (28:47):
But it wasn't like you guys want to.
Speaker 1 (28:49):
He didn't socialize outside of the gatherings.
Speaker 5 (28:52):
No.
Speaker 9 (28:53):
No, when when he was here, I socialized more with
the kids than him. He was just kind of he's
quiet and and he I don't know, Yeah, I feel
like he just he kind of let Julie lead him
in their life. No, I don't want to say like
he wasn't there for anything, but he just kind of
sat back and let her run the house. So I
think his mom also did that for him before.
Speaker 2 (29:15):
He met Julie.
Speaker 1 (29:16):
So if Julia Beverly was somewhat mothering in her relationship
with Mike Beasley, it's that same maternal nature that makes
her murder conviction so unbelievable to all her three brothers,
including the youngest one, Ricky, who joined us at the table.
He serves in the United States Air Force and for
years was in the Air Force on our guard.
Speaker 11 (29:38):
I was just shocked at first hearing that that supposedly
Julie did it, and you know, I'm running back through
tilhood memories. I'm just like, there's no way. It's like
it's like if some flat earther was like trying to
tell me that the Earth was flat, There's no way.
But they're trying to tell me, no, it's proof. Now
I'm like no, Like, I mean, that's what I know
my whole life. You know, I've known Julian my whole life.
(29:59):
All these examples about f didn't make sense.
Speaker 9 (30:01):
Yeah, especially because on holidays she will she'll have two
babies on her you know what I'm saying. She sit
at the kids table, she'll you know what I'm like,
she's she's a When we went to Salem for Nikki's
wedding and she's taking care of other people's kids like
all that, they all just went to her. No one
(30:22):
even asked her to because she just ended up watching
everyone's kids.
Speaker 2 (30:27):
She was a mom went through.
Speaker 4 (30:29):
Yeah, So what do you guys think is going to
go down today?
Speaker 10 (30:33):
Well, I'm almost certain it will be a denial. But
like I tell Julie, whatever happens today, it's a positive
move forward. I just hate that she's even in this position.
I think about what she's feeling going through it, and
it bothers me because I can't fix it.
Speaker 4 (30:52):
Yeah, but I mean, the truth means and that's the
thing I mean.
Speaker 1 (30:55):
I want to make it really clear all of you
guys cared about Jade. Yes, yes, you don't just want
justice for Julie on us, right, you want justice for Jade.
We'll be right back with Murder on Songbird Road. Now
(31:18):
back to Murder on Songbird Road. Next, we headed to
her sentencing, which took place in Williamson County Courthouse in Marion.
It's a boxy, modern brick building which was apparently built
in nineteen seventy one, with minimal use of windows who
as to maximize energy efficiency. The resulting structure resembles an
(31:39):
industrial warehouse. After clearing security, Bob and I sat in
the back of the small courtroom, which was clearly divided
by families and loyalties. Jade's relations sat to the left
and Beverly's to the right. Local reporter Danny Vaye was there.
Speaker 12 (31:56):
Julia Beverly was found guilty in February of murdering j
Beasley in twenty twenty, so it took about eight months
for the sentencing hearing to play out. After the conviction,
Beverly entered the courtroom today in handcuffs and an orange jumpsuit.
Speaker 1 (32:09):
I had not met Julia Beverly in person yet, but
heard her arrival before I saw her. The courtroom quieted
as a metallic clanking signaled the entrance of a petite
woman clad in an orange prison issued jumpsuit. Her steps slow, deliberate,
and waited by the heavy chains that shackled her briteite frame.
Her hair was down and long, the length underscoring the
(32:33):
time passed since her arrest nearly three years ago. Beverly's
face remained blank as she entered the room until her
eyes met with those of her eldest son, Jayden, who
was seated with Renee, and her brothers. She acknowledged them
all with a slight nod as her mouth gave way
to a hint of the smile I'd seen on her
social media, though heavier and short lived. Her face turned
(32:55):
somber again as she turned towards the bench. All but
the top of her head was engulfed by her chair.
Speaker 12 (33:00):
Once seated, Judge Stephen Green considering a motion today to
a new trial that was filed by the defense just
a couple of days ago, but Judge Green denied the
motion due to substantial evidence presented at the trial. And
before Green read the sentence, a family member from the
Beasley side was allowed to read a victim impact statement
saying that Beasley's death will continue to haunt the family.
Speaker 1 (33:22):
Mike Beasley was seated with a woman I recognized from
his social.
Speaker 4 (33:26):
Media posts as Brooke.
Speaker 1 (33:27):
They apparently worked together for years a cracker barrel, and,
according to their social media timelines, appear to have started
a relationship within months after the murder. This didn't go
unnoticed by Beverly's friends and family. According to screen grabs,
Renee has shared Brookes social media often appeared to target Beverly,
her friends and family, while very much implying she was
(33:51):
now raising Beverly's three youngest children as her own. In
one post, she snuggles Beverly's youngest son, who was born
after Beverly's arrest, with the caption I may not have
given birth to you, but you will always be my baby.
Another one shows the infant, whose name has apparently been
changed to Caine, wearing a Navy shirt emblazoned with the
(34:13):
words raised by an awesome Mama. Renee Higtower finds this
especially painful given her absolute lack of access to her
grandchildren since the murder. Pain that is further compounded by
the details of Beverly's birth while in custody of Williamson
County Jail awaiting trial. They remain deeply disturbing. We'll break
(34:35):
them down in much more detail in our next episode.
Back to the sentencing, this courtroom was packed.
Speaker 12 (34:41):
There was sixty people inside the courtroom to hear the
sentence and of increased police presence there.
Speaker 1 (34:46):
No recording was allowed, but mad and I were able
to bring in small pads and writing implements.
Speaker 12 (34:51):
Special Prosecutor Jennifer Mudge recommended a sentence of over forty
five years. The defense countered with a recommendation of the
minimum twenty years, and they say because Beverly had no
prior criminal history, Green said he took everything into account
and then handed down a fifty five year sentence.
Speaker 1 (35:08):
The reaction in the courtroom was as immediate as it
was polarizing.
Speaker 12 (35:12):
Some of the Beasley family were driven to tears as
they heard the sentence. Beverly was also in tears and
was allowed to hug multiple family members before being taken
into custody and escorted to the Williamson County Jail.
Speaker 1 (35:25):
After the sentencing, Mada and I compared notes.
Speaker 2 (35:29):
Watching the dynamics in the courtroom was really interesting because
I'm always on the other side of the bar. This
is really the first time I've ever been in the gallery,
like washing it as a straight up observer, and it
was really interesting. And we had gone in and we
had told Renee, look, we're neutral, we're Switzerland, and this
(35:52):
thing here right now.
Speaker 1 (35:54):
But there were only two places you could sit right
and there was no room on Mike's Mike's side and
Jessica's family.
Speaker 2 (36:02):
Side, so we had no choice. It was just a
really interesting dynamic. After the sentence was laid down by
the judge, we see these two opposite sides. We see weeping, sadness,
truly getting last hugs with her loved.
Speaker 1 (36:18):
Ones, sobbing as she hugs her eldest son, Yeah, Jade
and goodbye.
Speaker 2 (36:25):
And we see joy, which seems so.
Speaker 4 (36:31):
Odd.
Speaker 2 (36:31):
Doesn't cure anything, you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 4 (36:34):
It doesn't.
Speaker 2 (36:35):
It doesn't make anything better, It doesn't heal the wound.
I guess it's like it's the only form of justice
that we have. But the question that we have now
is it justice. It's not justice if the wrong person
has just been sentenced fifty five years in prison because
she didn't.
Speaker 1 (36:54):
Do it, and if she didn't do it, that means
whoever killed Jade it's still out the But what stuck
out to both of us was the theme of religion.
When Jade's great aunt on behalf of the family addressed
Beverly before her sentencing, the word Christianity was almost wielded
as a weapon, and that Beverly had not won because
(37:16):
the children would be raised Christians, and the victim impact statement.
Speaker 4 (37:21):
It was very interesting that when she.
Speaker 1 (37:23):
Listed Mike and Julie's three children, she really punched the
fact that they had changed her son, the infant she
gave birth to in jail, and they changed it to Cain,
as in canaan Abel, cana Abel witches Bible, Cain killed Abel.
(37:45):
Towards the end of that statement, Matas scrippled down something
and tilted his paper towards me. Holy shit, they think
they're witches. The last word was underlined.
Speaker 2 (37:56):
Darkness the light evil.
Speaker 4 (37:59):
Oh that's what I wrote down in the line, Like.
Speaker 2 (38:02):
They're talking about witches.
Speaker 4 (38:04):
This whole darkness cannot drive out darkness, right, that's wild?
All right, you have to get to the airport.
Speaker 1 (38:11):
So tomorrow I'm meeting with two of Julie's best friends,
one who still is local, can be good stuff. And
then Leah, Yeah, I'm gonna really hammer them as to
had they ever seen her loser temper, had she ever
complained about whether.
Speaker 2 (38:28):
Or not fucking witch? I want to know if they're wicked,
if they're.
Speaker 1 (38:34):
Yeah, because they allegend that this was some kind of
rich or.
Speaker 2 (38:39):
Something, because and you saw, like I saw, Renee's necklace
definitely had like some pagan symbal tree or some like
wicked like you know, I mean, it was definitely had
that vibe to it.
Speaker 6 (38:50):
It's a fascinating angle and it could be a motive
as to why this girl was railroaded, you know.
Speaker 2 (39:00):
What I'm saying, Or I mean, that kind of shit
is frowned upon down here.
Speaker 1 (39:05):
On the next Murder on Songbird Road, we uncover the
details of Beverly's treatment and custody.
Speaker 10 (39:12):
So I get every opportunity to degrade her, or belittle her,
or even torture her.
Speaker 1 (39:17):
They did it, and the controversy surrounding the delivery of
her son.
Speaker 9 (39:22):
The judge ordered Thomas would be taken as soon as
the umbilical cord was cut.
Speaker 4 (39:26):
I wanted to scream at that.
Speaker 1 (39:27):
Moment, before I face Julia Beverly in person, she doesn't
look like her mugshot. It's almost as if they wanted
to magnify the half black side of her. Murder on
Songbird Road is a production of iHeart Podcasts. Our executive
producers are Taylor Chicogyne and Lauren Bright.
Speaker 4 (39:48):
Pacheco.
Speaker 1 (39:49):
Research writing and hosting by Lauren Bright Pacheco. Investigative reporting
by Bob Matta and Lauren Bright Pacheco. Editing, sound design
and original music by Evan Tyer and El Chicoine. Additional
music by Ashra Kurtz. Archival elements courtesy of WSIL News three.
Please like, subscribe, and leave us a review. Wherever you're listening,
(40:11):
you can follow me on all platforms at Lauren brighte
Pacheco and email the show with thought, suggestions or tips
at Investigating Murder at iHeartMedia dot com. For more iHeart podcasts,
(40:39):
visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get
your favorite shows. Thanks for listening.
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Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!