A search warrant released by the Midlothian Police Department Thursday says fitness instructor Missy Bevers died of a head wound. Meanwhile, investigators in the North Texas city have seized her pickup truck in hopes of finding a clue that leads to her killer.
Terri "Missy" Bevers, 45, arrived at the Creekside Christian Church at about 4 a.m. Monday to prepare for her early-morning Camp Gladiator fitness class. When her students arrived at 5 a.m., they found her unresponsive. Officials later declared her dead — after finding signs of a struggle and evidence of forced entry, police began investigating her death as a homicide.
A review of surveillance video recorded inside the church revealed the presence of another person inside an hour before Bevers' arrival. The person was described as wearing black, police-like clothing. Police originally thought the person was a man, but backed away from that assertion Tuesday afternoon.
In the search warrant dated April 18, police said Bevers was "deceased from a head wound" and that the person in the video "used an unknown instrument to cause the death of Terri Bevers at this location."
The Dallas County medical examiner completed an autopsy on Bevers Tuesday, but police are not releasing her specific cause of death citing the ongoing investigation. By withholding that information, police said they retain a strategic advantage in the investigation.
The warrant instructed police to take custody of Bevers' 2012 Ford F-150 pickup truck. Inside the vehicle, police said they could see Bevers' purse, an iPad and other personal effects. Police said they hope to find clues inside the truck that lead them to the woman's killer.
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On Wednesday, Midlothian police said their investigation was being assissted by the Texas Rangers, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
NBC 5's Jocelyn Lockwood contributed to this report.
