A white Texas man killed his ex-girlfriend while wearing blackface and managed to convince witnesses that a Black man was responsible for her killing, according to police.
Carrolton police arrested 33-year-old Andrew Charles Beard on Monday for the murder of Alyssa Burkett, the mother of his one-year-old daughter. According to police, Beard shot and repeatedly stabbed the 24-year-old outside her workplace on Oct 2.
The former couple was embroiled in a bitter custody battle over their daughter and Burkett had been awarded custody of the child on Sept. 30. The infant is unharmed and in the protective custody of Texas Child Protective Services, police said.
Witnesses Said Suspect Appeared to Be Black
One of Burkett's co-workers told police that just after she arrived into work that morning, she saw through the glass window a black vehicle approaching Burkett's car that was parked in front of the office.
The witness told police the male, who was dressed in all black, fired shots at the driver's side of the vehicle. Other witnesses who caught a glimpse of one side of the suspect's face said they believed he was a black male.
According to the affidavit Burkett's mother, Burkett's boyfriend and a co-worker all told police she had told them she was scared of Beard and "believed that he was going to kill her."
Police Found a Fake Beard, Dark Make-Up in Beard's Car
Investigators found a tracking device attached to the bottom of Burkett's vehicle and a similar device was retrieved from the vehicle belonging to her current boyfriend. After detectives had reason to believe Beard could have been involved, they executed a search warrant at his home, where they found the same tracking devices.
Detectives also recovered a serrated kitchen knife, a flathead screwdriver and two bottles of dark brown liquid foundation make-up from Beard's truck. They also found make-up wipes with brown residue in the vehicle and what they believe were the remains of a destroyed make-up brush.
Police also discovered a black Ford Expedition near Beard's residence and when they contacted the registered owner, she told them she had sold it to a man fitting Beard's description on Sept. 26. In the SUV, police found a fake prosthetic beard stained with what appeared to be brown make-up, as well as blood-stained hair.
Beard surrendered to Carrollton police on Monday after learning that a warrant had been issued for his arrest. He is being held on $1million bail.
