Murder on Songbird Road - 9. Judgement

Episode Date: February 20, 2025

The infamous Huck’s footage exposes critical flaws in the prosecution’s theory, reinforced by a criminologist’s analysis of stabbing murders—setting the stage for Innocence activist Jason Flom to intervene and alter the course of Bevely’s legal battle. Email us with thoughts, suggestions or tips at [e-mail]. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

My name is Kyle Tequila, host of the shocking new true crime podcast, Crook County. I got recruited into the mob when I was 17 years old. People are dying. Is he doing this every night? Kenny was a Chicago firefighter who lived a secret double life as a mafia hitman. I had a wife and I had two children. Nobody knew anything. He was a freaking crazy man. He was my father, and I had no idea about any of this until now. Crook County is available now.

Listen for free on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Welcome to the Criminalia Podcast. I'm Maria Tremorchi. And I'm Holly Frey. Together we invite you into the dark and winding corridors of historical true crime. Each season we explore a new theme from poisoners to art thieves. We uncover the secrets of history's most interesting figures from legal injustices to body snatching.

And tune in at the end of each episode as we indulge in cocktails and mocktails inspired by each story. Listen to Criminalia on the i on the I heart radio app Apple podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Need the latest crime news fast whether it's the latest developments in a high profile case or urgent alerts about missing persons crime alert hourly update delivers the news you need to know as it happens.

I miss you grace and with our team of investigative reporters and experts, we bring you the top crime headlines you need to know every hour on the hour. Listen to Crime Alert Hourly Update on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. It was big news. I mean, white girl gets murdered, found in a cemetery, big, big news. A long investigation stalls until someone changes their story. I saw nothing that happened. An arrest, trial and conviction soon follow.

He did not kill her. 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. Murder on Songbird Road is a production of iHeart Podcasts. Previously on Murder on Songbird Road, the trial transcripts and Julia Beverly's interrogation video

provided incredible insights into the prosecution's case against Beverly. I felt like it was my fault because I lost her. You were there, Mr. You were there for me. I should have just taken her with me in the store. That speaks to her innocence, it does. Beverly voluntarily agreed to be questioned without an attorney. She also consented to the collection of her DNA.

— There was a lot of red flags. Let me say that. If I was training him, I would have stopped him and said, you need to change your gloves. — They're not going to test everything. They're just not. But all the critical things, which had they been brought brought up on cross-examination, would have absolutely laid waste to the state's case. None of Jade Beasley's electronic devices were forensically tested. None.

Why? That they didn't even look at any of those devices to find out if Jade was active in order to build a timeline, a real timeline, is unbelievable to me. I'm Lauren Breg Pacheco, and this is Murder on Songbird road. As I began writing this episode, I received an email from the investigation secretary of the Williamson County Sheriff's Office approving my request for surveillance footage

from Huck's gas station. The video showed Beverly driving up depositing something in one of the waste containers and then leaving. After watching it, Bob and I compared our thoughts. The thing that concerned me the most is, did she drive around to the back to go to a dumpster? Because we had started hearing rumblings that she had gone to the back either first or last and that she had dumped things in that dumpster as well as this small receptacle that is in between the pumps. So that concern in terms of,

if I'm thinking Julie is not guilty of this crime, that concern has been obliterated. She clearly did not go to any dumpster. What we were told that she did is exactly what it appears that she's doing, which is she pulled up to that receptacle in between the two pumps. Like you see it 99.9% of all gas stations.

She's in there for, I don't know, 15, 20 seconds, probably gathering whatever garbage is in the car. And then you see her step out. And then you have Mudge giving her hypothesis of what Beverly was throwing away. From the trial transcript, here's special prosecutor Jennifer Mudge hypothesizing what Julie Bevelie was discarding at Hux. Quote, there goes the knife, there goes the real shoe she was wearing. Unquote. Keep in mind the prosecution also bundled

into their speculation of what that small plastic bag contained, a shower curtain, and utensils recovered at the dump, none of which could be traced back to Hux, let alone the murder scene. Back to Bob. In theory, we're talking about clothes that would more likely than not be absolutely saturated in blood.

And the bag would be heavy, theoretically, if you're talking about one of those small plastic grocery bags, I Mean, aren't you worrying about like blood dripping out on to like are you're leaving? traces of blood droplets on the ground or smearing it on the they get like when you watch the video It looks like somebody who's pulled up to a receptacle in a gas station that's throwing some shit out of their car. In that video, you see Beverly pull up between gas pumps.

Pause for a second as she appears to partially prop the passenger door open while rummaging about before stepping out and tossing a loosely gathered bag in her right hand with that one hand. Beverly then gets back in and drives off in the same direction she came from. And nothing more, like she doesn't get out and look around.

She's not having to reconfigure the bag in her hand. There's no pushing it into the can. It looks to me like she's got it in one hand and she just drops it. There's no, oh, should I maybe put some other garbage on top of this garbage so that the next person doesn't see a bag of bloody clothes? None of that exists.

And it doesn't even look like it's fastened at the top. It doesn't. It looks like it's the other handle because those typically those plastic bags have two. Again, remember what the prosecution contends was inside that bag. It's the clothing she was wearing, the shoes that she was wearing, and the murder weapon.

And then you go to what they retrieved at the dump, and they inferred was tossed as well, which would have been the shower curtain. Bob and I have discussed how the defense could have, but did not push back. I would have had all of those things and how the defense could have, but did not push back. I would have had all of those things and asked someone to put them into a comparable-sized plastic bag so people could get the idea of what it would look like to have shoes, clothing,

towels, murder weapon, shower curtain, if they could even fit it. I'll go a step further. I would have tried to pack a bag that size with all of those things, and I would have shown that it probably wouldn't have fit in that 18-inch opening. Yeah, not without pushing it in. No, bring a comparable- sized garbage can into the courtroom

and have somebody do it with one hand. You wouldn't have been able to just toss it. Right, she's dropping it in. Yeah. She literally just kind of leans over and just drops it in. Everything that you would think about what would be going through a normal person's mind if that is what they're disposing? You do not see in this video.

Imagine that you are driving up to a gas station and you are disposing of bloody clothes that link you to a murder that just occurred that you committed. Spoiler alert, I wouldn't have done it at a gas station with cameras everywhere. There's not a chance. There's not a chance. In terms of it trial, the fact that there was no resistance,

not only am I testing the theory out that it's impossible to shove that much stuff, And you have to take into consideration bloody towels or rags that were used to also clean up. You can see what you're throwing out and where you're doing it. And there's no way that that is a bag of bloody clothes, a murder weapon and shoes and rags or whatever you use. And a shower curtain. And a shower,. And a shower.

Like, does that mean that she didn't do it? Not necessarily in and of itself. Does it mean that I don't think there's any way in hell that that's what she was disposing of there? Absolutely. 100%. Like, I would die on that hill. Special prosecutor Mudge also contradicted the claim

Beverly was wearing flip-flops. Quote, — So she tells police she had on flip-flops. It's December. She just went to Walmart. Flip-flops? No. And that they fell off her feet while she is walking

or pacing around the kitchen? Have you ever paced around your own kitchen and your flip-flops just fell off of you?" I can't tell what kind of footwear she's wearing. Does it look like she's wearing the flip-flops to you? Yeah, because it doesn't look like she's wearing shoes. You can see the color of her arms and she looks like she's wearing cropped leggings. So you can see that it doesn't appear that she's wearing shoes, which is right in keeping with what a flip-flop would look like on a foot.

Keep in mind that special prosecutor Mudge scoffs at the thought that she would have been wearing flip-flops to Walmart. But it's interesting, if you scroll the footage before Beverly even pulls up, multiple people, there's a guy who gets out and he's wearing a cut-off, like, t-shirt with the sleeves completely removed. It's December, but it was unseasonably warm. I also think that if you had just murdered someone, and, you know, remember the prosecution contends

this was after the murder, she would have been covered with bloody scratches and bleeding hands, why would she have been out and about in a T-shirt? And so, again, we have the magically clean, then bleeding again hands. So her hands were bloodied. The prosecution contends when she was murdering Jade. Then meticulously and miraculously, they are cleansed because she goes back to the office

and types without any blood, for another 51 minutes. Then she further cleans up and goes to Hux to dispose of everything, comes back, and her hands are bloody again. It's a magic bullet theory. I mean, it doesn't add up. Like, to me, the whole timeframe of the state just never made any sense.

And the main reason is for what you pointed out, which is that the fact that she got back on the computer and worked for damn near an hour, which requires her to type. She's not on a mouse just clicking. She's having to draft emails. She's using the keyboard. And if you've got an active bleeding wound on your hand, the concept that there's not one iota, not one speck of blood anywhere in that office, anywhere on that keyboard, anywhere on that desk, nowhere is implausible to me. That is a really, really bad fact for the state, which again should have been absolutely highlighted by the defense in this case.

And speaking of blood, there's something else. Beverly's friends claim she was triggered by the sight of it. My name is Katie. And your relationship to Julie? I would consider her best friend. How long have you known Julie and how did you guys first meet? School about second or third grade. She was very squeamish. She didn't like blood. She didn't she didn't like violence. So I never and I never saw her around. I mean, her brothers wrestled around and we messed with her sometimes, but I never saw her in violent

situations. She just tried to avoid it. When't you say that she didn't like blood? Are there any specific examples that you remember? Just like movies, like nasty Dory movies and stuff like that. She was just not into it. Even if Beverly didn't have a history of avoiding blood and gore, her gender also places her as somewhat of an anomaly

in terms of stabbing murder, according to this man. My name is Arthur Larigio. I am a professor of criminology and of psychology at Loyola University, Chicago. Stabbing murderers, if you use the term murderer, you're going to be talking about a man nine out of 10 times, at least in the United States. The age and the socioeconomic background can vary, but it's usually a younger rather than

older man. And socioeconomic background is usually at the lower end of the continuum rather than the higher end of the continuum if the person who is the perpetrator of a stabbing Is successful in killing the person there's likely to have been some forerunners That's not going to be the only Incident in which there's been a perpetration of violence. Mental illness is usually not a factor in stabbings or

any other kinds of killings. Usually it doesn't mean that it's not. It just isn't as common as people imagine it is. Stabbing offenders typically have prior violent criminal histories. I think that they probably have some prior acts of violence in their record, but that's not always the case. Alcohol and drugs absolutely influence the likelihood of a stabbing attack. In terms of the demographic patterns among stabbing murderers, in terms of gender particularly, what do you attribute that nine out of 10 likelihood

of it being male to? Part of it is the biological nature of being male, as well as the manner in which men are socialized. From boyhood on, there's less restrictions placed on their engagement of violent behavior. Violent and aggressive behavior is sometimes rewarded or is sometimes not disciplined in the way it might be in a girl. And so it's a combination. There's a strong biological component to violence

and it has to do with the presence of testosterone. There's violence that's instrumental, that's conducted to accomplish a goal that would be premeditated violence. And then there's a mode of violence that comes about with an increasing escalation. And many times the mode of violence involves drugs or alcohol, more alcohol than drugs. There aren't many drugs that cause people to become violent in the way that alcohol does.

It's interesting because in this case, there is a belief that meth could have played a role. Uh-huh. Oh, sure. Meth is a drug that also is related to violence. Meth would be a drug that I would not at all be surprised to hear play the role. Murder on Songbird Road will continue after the break. guy out there to say, who's that f***ing Kyle who thinks he can just get on a microphone on a podcast and start publicizing this s***. From iHeart Podcasts and Tenderfoot TV comes a new true crime podcast, Crook County.

I got recruited into the mob when I was 17 years old. Meet Kenny, an enforcer for the legendary Chicago outfit. And that was my mission, to snuff to snuff the life out of this guy He lived a secret double life as a firefighter paramedic for the Chicago Fire Department My wife and I had two children. Nobody knew anything people are dying Is he doing this every night torn between two worlds? I'm covering up murders that these cops are doing He was a freaking crazy man. We don't know who he is, really. He is my father.

And I had no idea about any of this until now. Welcome to Crook County. Series premiere, February 11th. Listen for free on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, y'all. I'm Maria Fernanda Diaz. My podcast, When You're Invisible, is my love letter to the working-class people and immigrants who shaped my life. I get to talk to a lot of people who form the backbone of our society, but who have never been interviewed before.

Season 2 is all about community, organizing, and being underestimated. All the greatest changes have happened when a couple of people said, this sucks, let's do something about it. I can't have more than $2,000 in my bank account or else I can't get disability benefits. They won't let you succeed. I know we get paid to serve you guys,

but like, be respectful. We're made out of the same things, bone, body, blood. It's rare to have black male teachers. Sometimes I am the lesson and I'm also the testament. Listen to When You're Invisible as part of the MyCultura podcast network. Available on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I started to live a double life when I was a teenager, responsible and driven and wild and out of control.

My head is pounding. I'm confused. I don't know why I'm in jail. It's hard to understand what hope is when you're trapped in a cycle of addiction. Addiction took me to the darkest places. I had an AK-47 pointed at my head. But one night, a new door opened, and I made it into the rooms of recovery.

The path would have roadblocks and detours, stalls, and relapses. But when I was feeling the most lost, I found hope with community, and I made my way back. This season, join me on my journey through addiction and recovery. A story told in 12 steps. Listen to Krems as part of the My Kulura Podcast Network, available on the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hi, I'm Arturo Castro, and I've been lucky enough to do stuff like Broad City, and Narcos, and Roadhouse, and so many commercials about back pain. And now, I'm starting a podcast because honestly, guys, I don't feel the space is crowded enough.

Get Ready for Greatest Escapes, a new comedy podcast about the wildest true escape stories in history. Each week, I'll be sitting down with some of the most hilarious actors and writers and comedians to tell them a buckwild tale from across history and time. People like Ed Helms, Diane Guerrero, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Zoe Chow. Titanic.

Charles Manson. Alcatraz. Asada Shakur. The sketchy guy named Steve. It's giving funny true crime. I love storytelling and I love you, so I can't wait. Listen and subscribe to Greatest Escapes on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Now back to murder on Songbird Road. Going back to the trial, we want to address a misconception that many people following the case at the time, even people who attended the trial, had or continue to have regarding what was actually found at Hucks as opposed to the Southern Illinois Regional Landfill. And it likely involves this exchange from trial between the prosecution and Lee Stort, a special agent to the Illinois State Police, which we'll read verbatim. What was the reason you were wanting to excavate a portion of that landfill?

Investigators used phone records through Ms. Beverly's Verizon cell phone and combined that data with various surveillance video footage to see that a vehicle matching the description of her vehicle drove to a Hux and Marion. When the vehicle pulled up into the Hux parking lot, it pulled up next to a pump and the driver of the vehicle pulled out an object out of the vehicle and put it into a trash can at the gas station. Okay, so you were searching for trash. We were searching for trash that could be involved in the commission of this crime.

As the testimony continues, note how the word trash morphs to also cover not just what was discarded at Hoggs, but what was excavated at the landfill. Okay, so were there any items of evidence collected through the trash? Yes. What were they?

So there were two broken knife blades, one with serration on one side and one with serration on both sides, and then a curtain, a multicolored curtain. Okay, and these items were, as you previously testified to, were they compacted with medical waste and contaminated soil, like the process that you previously testified to?

Yes. All right. Looking at people's exhibit 365, is that the curtain you described? Yes. And 366, what is that? It's a knife blade with some serration. And 367? The other one is a knife blade with serration on the bottom side there. OK, so those items would have been collected and turned over to the investigating agency. Is that correct? Yes.

And in the photographs of the knives, I notice some, well, did you notice anything in the photograph of the knives, I noticed some... Well, did you notice anything in the photograph of the knives on the knife blades? Some discoloration in this area here, down here, on that one, and it's broken off. They also have some soil on them. Yes, right there. Nothing further, Your Honor.

All right, what do you make of that exchange? It's ridiculous. It's the thing that upsets me the most about this entire trial, that any of this evidence was admissible in any way, shape, or form. To allow them to bring it in under the guise that, well, look, we're not going to allow them to say it's the murder weapon or that the curtain is from the house, but they did all this work.

They had 20 people out there for hours. That concept that they allowed that to come into this trial and the impact that that had on the jury is to me going to be one of the major factors in the appeals. I will not be surprised if this is one of the reasons that this case gets overturned, that the conviction gets overturned and it's remanded. It is that big of a deal overturned and it's remanded. It is that big of a deal that they allowed these knives to come in that had nothing to do with this crime, this shower curtain which was not from that home, which like what is the implication from it? Well there's also a very slippery transference of the use of the word trash. Yeah that's how they did it. So in terms of kind of the lawyering aspect of it,

when you're putting together that particular cross examination in conjunction with what Mudge had described it happened, they're combining the thought of what trash is from trash that's being thrown in a garbage can, that it's the same of what trash is from trash that's being thrown in a garbage can, that it's the same thing as trash that was pulled from a landfill. It's slick lawyering. To make it sound like they're one in the same to that jury

is what's so scary and disingenuous. What's also interesting is there was this disconnect. We couldn't figure out why so many people thought that these things were found at the trash from Hux. That's why. Because you could have been sitting in the same room and it's just clever wording. It's wordplay and it's deceptive. It is. When we spoke to Brenda and Bailey, very, very, very sincerely and authentically, there was a very real disconnect about what was found at Hux. How could there not be?

Having seen the video, you and I were waiting to see the car go out of frame and circle back to where there's some other dumpster. There was no dumpster involved. They thought in their minds that they saw her go to a dumpster. That's how impactful that one little portion of testimony was in terms of planting a seed that did not exist. That concept of that's her disposing of the murder weapon as well as the bloody clothes is huge. It's huge evidence for them.

And it was done in a way that the judge made a horrific mistake allowing that evidence to come in at all. And then it was compounded by the way that they used some word salad trickery to get the jury to think that they were talking about something that they weren't, which is the garbage can. Again, I will be surprised if in fact,

this case is remanded, that that will not be one of the major factors that cause it, because that has a massive impact. One hundred percent. When you're kind of lacking any kind of other physical evidence in the case like this, there just isn't really any physical evidence. Like, that becomes smoking gun type evidence. It's also interesting to note that officer Sloan, the same officer who claimed on the stand

to have questioned a woman walking a dog or looking for a dog in a black hoodie, but didn't get her name or address, but knew she was a resident, also testified about observing a bite mark on Beverly's arm. Here's that testimony as it appears in the trial transcript. Um, I was later called to transport her to the Williamson County Sheriff's Office.

And did you do that? Yes, I did. Did you ask her any questions along the way? No, I did not. Did she say anything to you along the way? Uh, she didn't make any statements. I believe she inquired of Jade's status at one point. When you were transporting her,

did you notice any wounds to her? I did. I noticed a bite mark on her forearm. And here's the cross-examination by the defense. When you came back to drive Julie up to the sheriff's department, she went voluntarily, correct? Yes. She wasn't handcuffed or anything like that?

No, I don't believe so. But she was wearing a large black sweatshirt at that point. I do not recall what she was wearing. You don't recall? No. Did she have the blanket on her? I believe she left the blanket there.

But you don't know if she was wearing a full long sleeve sweatshirt at that point? I do not recall what she was wearing. All right, what are your thoughts on that? You know, it's selective memory, right? So the thing that Theen's getting at is that you can't tell me what she was wearing, but I have it on good authority she was wearing a

long-sleeve black sweatshirt, which means that you wouldn't be able to see her forearm. And again, like this is the same cop that we're dealing with that dealt with that either critical or not critical person dressed in black walking the dog. And this is like a low key really big point, because either this guy's completely fabricating what he saw while he's driving, or he's got a really bad memory. We know that she was wearing a pullover hoodie. So the question then becomes, how is this guy noticing a mark on her arm? Does he have x-ray vision? Is he Superman?

And there's another interesting cop-connected testimony. The neighbor who happened to supply the second video referenced of car footage used in the building of the prosecution's timeline also happened to know one of the responding officers, one who happened to stop by his house on the way to responding to the 911 call. Here's that neighbor's testimony.

I actually went to the correctional academy with Officer Ward from the Marion Police Department. That's who it was. So he stopped and he told me that they too were looking- Objection! For a male suspect. Here, say. No, I withdraw that. And here's how the exchange continues.

Okay, after that, were you made aware that the police were no longer looking for a male in black? Yes. My wife, she's my ex-wife now, but my wife at the time, she worked for the Marion Police Department. I already find it suspect that the second camera footage comes from somebody who went to the Academy with one of the officers and his wife works for the Marion Police Department. That's just too convenient that then the— It's pretty cozy. It's also pretty convenient that the footage obtained from the home was deemed to be 44 minutes off,

so as to sync with the also off time of the Huck's footage and cell tower pings. But none of that was challenged. We'll be right back with murder on Songbird Road. True Crime Podcast, Crook County. I got recruited into the mob when I was 17 years old. Meet Kenny, an enforcer for the legendary Chicago outfit. And that was my mission, to snuff the life out of this guy. He lived a secret double life as a firefighter paramedic

for the Chicago Fire Department. I had a wife and I had two children. Nobody knew anything. People are dying. Is he doing this every night? Torn between two worlds. I'm covering up murders that these cops are doing. He was a freaking crazy man.

We don't know who he is, really. He is my father. And I had no idea about any of this until now. Welcome to Crook County. Series premiere February 11th. Listen for free on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey y'all, I'm Maria Fernanda Diaz. My podcast, When You're Invisible, is my love letter to the working class people and immigrants who shaped my life. I get to talk to a lot of people who form the backbone of our society, but who have never been interviewed before.

Season 2 is all about community, organizing, and being underestimated. All the greatest changes have happened when a couple of people said, this sucks, let's do something about it. I can't have more than $2,000 in my bank account, or else I can't get disability benefits. They won't let you succeed. I know we get paid to serve you guys, but like be respectful.

We're made out of the same things, bone, body, blood. It's rare to have black male teachers. Sometimes I am the lesson and I'm also the testament. Listen to When You're Invisible as part of the MyCultura podcast network. Available on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hi, I'm Arturo Castro, and I've been lucky enough

to do stuff like Broad City and Narcos and Roadhouse and so many commercials about back pain. And now I'm starting a podcast because honestly, guys, I don't feel the space is crowded enough. Get Ready for Greatest Escapes, a new comedy podcast about the wildest true escape stories in history. Each week I'll be sitting down with some of the most

hilarious actors and writers and comedians to tell them a buck wild tale from across history and time. People like Ed Helms, Diane Guerrero, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zoe Chow. Titanic. Charles Manson. Alcatraz. Asada Shakur. The sketchy guy named Steve. It's giving funny true crime. I started to live a double life when I was a teenager.

Responsible and driven, and wild and out of control. My head is pounding. I'm confused. I don't know why I'm in jail. It's hard to understand what hope is when you're trapped in a cycle of addiction. Addiction took me to the darkest places. I had an AK-47 pointed at my head.

But one night, a new door opened and I made it into the rooms of recovery. The path would have roadblocks and detours, stalls and relapses. But when I was feeling the most lost, I found hope with community and I made my way back. This season, joined me on my journey through addiction and recovery. A story told in 12 steps. Listen to Krems as part of the

Michael Lura Podcast Network, available on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. on songbirdroad.com. And you can find the full story on songbirdroad.com. And you can find the full story on songbirdroad.com. And you can find the full story on songbirdroad.com. And you can find the full story on songbirdroad.com. And you can find the full story on songbirdroad.com. And you can find the full story on songbirdroad.com. And you can find the full story on songbirdroad.com.

And you can find the full story on songbirdroad.com. And you can find the full story on songbirdroad.com. made jurors uncomfortable. It's really, really problematic. As alluded to in our last episode, one of Beverly's close friends, Leah, who had traveled to support her during trial, was asked to leave the courtroom because members of the jury found her problematic. Do I look threatening to you? I was removed from the courtroom

because I was threatening the jury by sitting in the front row. What were you doing? She was sitting. Looking around? I was removed from the courtroom because I was threatening the jury by sitting in the front row. What were you doing? She was sitting. Looking around. I was behind her. I was looking around. They... I was the darkest person in that courtroom at her trial and they did everything they could do to get me out of that courtroom expeditiously, including asking Julie to ask me to leave, which they did. They allowed Julie to walk over to her house. And because Julie ask me to leave which they did They allowed Julie to walk over to her and because Julie asked me to leave I stepped out They were worried that they were gonna have a mistrial because I was intimidating the jury That's what by sitting there theme said that the jury members the all-white jury they were intimidated because I'm black

The all-white jury they had called the bailiff over and so we took a recess and during the recess certain jury members... They said I was taking pictures of their vehicles and they were worried that I was going to follow them home and or have I took pictures of their license plates and that I was sitting there staring them down. You are an Air Force veteran. That I was staring them down and giving dirty looks. I'm not in there smiling.

It was Julie's trial. I was distraught, but they said that I was a threat, that I was threatening the jury. How many out of 12 said that I was a threat? I think four. I think it was four, yeah. Four out of the 12 jury members had a problem with me, specifically just sitting there for the trial.

Back to Bob. This isn't a situation where she's out of order. She's not screaming, yelling, saying anything. She's merely looking at the jury, trying to figure out the same way that I am every time I'm sitting there. Are they buying this? Are my points hitting home? She's allowed to look and observe at anything that she wants to. This whole concept of staring, staring into someone's soul from out in the gallery. But like the reality, Lauren, is that is how the juror that we spoke to felt. We have indeed spoken to a juror whose anonymity we will protect.

They shared their side of the Leah situation. Here's the juror. It was when we were leaving at the end of the day one day, but there was somebody sitting in a car with a big Justice for Julie sticker on it that was taking videos or pictures of us walking out. At least that's what it looked like. It was a black, I think It was a black Ford car. So for us, it was scary. You know, like you hear stuff sometimes on TV of like people following jurors and

killing their whole family type stuff. And you don't know what anybody's like. Did we necessarily think that? I don't know what anybody else thought, but I know I was scared. Without consulting the parties, the trial judge privately questioned four jurors in chambers, though unrelated, during the process, concerns about the black car and the jurors' observations of Leah in the courtroom appear to have merged into a single issue. The bigger point about the whole Leah situation is that it really does kind of illuminate the mindset that you're dealing with down there. It's like Leah can't been the only person who was looking at the jury.

Recently, I went and watched a trial from beginning to end. It was three weeks long, and I spent an awful lot of time looking at the jury, hard. I'm trying to figure, like they're the only people that matter. They're the only people that matter in that courtroom. They are the 12 people that are sitting there deciding somebody's fate.

I'm watching them, are they paying attention? Are they making faces? How are they reacting to that evidence? It's just what you do. They are kind of mandatory viewing if you're sitting in on a trial. You watch the jurors because they are the beginning and the end of it all. Yeah, the power rests with them. The bigger question then becomes is what is going on

extemporaneously around them that's making them have this fear? What else is going on that's making jury against her, ironically, that it was a reflection on Beverly, that it was her friend who was making the jurors uncomfortable. And when you go back and you actually read that portion, they were originally talking about a black car, not a black woman. Also problematic are reports we've received about what the court clerk allegedly sent back with the jury foreman as the jurors went back to deliberate the verdict. You and I have been trying to kind of nail down the concept of what was sent back to the jurors to compound this even more,

what they were sitting with in that deliberation room. And we know that they're sitting there with that box of knives back there, the knives that have nothing to do with the crime. Wrap your mind around that. I cannot wrap, it's so prejudicial. And the fact that it is common practice that while deliberating a jury can ask for more things for more

clarification but we now have multiple sources confirming that the jury foreman was handed by the court clerk a box that contained those random utensils retrieved from the dump and autopsy photos as they were heading into deliberation. Multiple people who were in the courtroom have expressed they witnessed the box of evidence being sent back with the jurors prior to deliberation. Here's Renee Hightower. I remember the box going to the foreman and they were still in the jury box when it was given to them and they were sitting there for a moment and then he carried it out as they left. And who handed it to the foreman? The clerk. And they were sitting there for a moment and then he carried it out as they left. And who handed it to the foreman? The clerk.

So the court clerk handed the jury foreman a box before they went into deliberation? Correct. Did you know what was in the box at the time? I assumed it was evidence, but I couldn't see in it. I could see things sticking out of it, but I couldn't see in it. I could see things sticking out of it, but I couldn't see in it. What were you told it was after the fact? As they were taken out for deliberation,

we were all walking out. And that's when Thein told me, she said she had never seen anything like it, that they gave the jury the whole box of evidence. This is Beverly's friend, Katie's recollection. I do remember, I think it was the bailiff, I'm not really for sure who it was, somebody handing one of the men in the jury something and he kind of just sat there and looked at it with a dumbfounded look and then they got up to leave to go to Liberty.

I just remember him just looking at it, just down-founded like, what am I supposed, what is this, what am I supposed to do with it? And this is what we were told by an anonymous juror. What do you remember about the jury being sent into deliberation? And what do you remember being sent back to deliberate with in the room?

A box of all the pictures. And then there was knives in a box. When you say a box of all the pictures, what were the pictures of? Jade's autopsy photos. How is that not prejudicial? Well, it is. When you're sending them back and pretending as if they are the murder weapons, it's unbelievable.

How is that allowed though? And what does that mean? Wait, are we trying to figure out how Judge Green was operating here? Like I can't crawl into that man's brain. I have formally requested an interview or statement from Judge Green regarding the so-called evidence sent back with the jurors for deliberation and the removal of Leah from his courtroom. Additionally, I have asked the judge to address any connection to the immediate removal of Julia Bevely's son while she was a pretrial detainee in Williamson County, as well as

other potential conflicts of interest. This includes his affiliation with the same church attended by the Beasley family and allegations that he wore pink, widely associated with the Justice for Jade movement, on at least three of the six days of trial. Furthermore, despite denying having a social media presence at Beverly Sentencing, Green does indeed have a Facebook account that shares mutual connections with the Beasley family. While I copied the Williamson County State's attorney

on my request, it is gone unanswered. We looked at the transcripts of this trial. It's paper thin. There is no actual evidence of guilt here. They just never could prove that she was the person who actually did it, other than by her own misstatements and lies. When you look at everything else in the totality of the circumstances, you can see how shaky they thought their case was.

Something that is very much underscored by an exchange from the end of Dovely's three-hour interrogation the day of the murder and how the prosecution had it edited for trial. So do you think when Jade was getting stabbed, was it like this? Was it kind of off to the side? Because, you know, some people swing lower direction,

some kind of go from the side, some's over like this. Which way do you think it was? From what I can see on her back, it definitely looked like it was. Okay, it was definitely up and down like this. Was it kind of real quick? Was it like go in, kind of wiggle a little bit? I mean, which way did you do it? I didn't do this. Okay, here's the thing. Okay. We've...

I'm so scared. We know you've been through a lot. Don't tell me that I did this to her. I did not do this to her. There's some things that we're going to have to figure out. No! Stop right now! No! Help us through it then. Help us through it. No.

Okay, help us through it. What's she having? I'm not talking anymore. I'm not talking anymore. I'm not talking anymore. I'm not talking anymore. I'm not talking anymore. I'm not talking anymore.

I'm not talking anymore. I'm not talking anymore. I'm not talking anymore. I'm not talking anymore. I'm not talking anymore. I'm not talking anymore. I'm not talking anymore. I'm not talking anymore. I'm not talking anymore. No! Help us through it then. Help us through it. No! Okay, help us through it. I'm not talking anymore! If you think I'm just a super,

I am not talking to you anymore! She was not my blood daughter, but she was still a daughter to me! It's one thing to hear it, but I want listeners to understand how difficult it is to watch. It is. Agamire is really over-justiculating every single move as he makes this stabbing motion. What's interesting to me about her reaction, you can see how she's trying to hold it together, honestly thinking she's being helpful, and in that moment where she realizes he shifts gears to, how did

you do it? Not how did he do it, but how did you do it? And immediately she reacts with sincere shock and horror, is what it sounds like. Well, she breaks down immediately. It really speaks loudly to innocence, to me. That whole last minute that I watched was, that's not somebody who did it. What I find so interesting about that exchange is what they chose to cut out before it got

to trial. The last line that they cut out is, she may not have been my blood, but she was a daughter to me. The intention of cutting that out, if you think the person is 100% guilty, what are you trying to... Right, what are you afraid of? Yeah. Why are they cutting that out? You know, it's like there is no reasonable explanation for it

other than they're trying to have everything fit into their narrative and their narrative has to be that Julia did not feel that way about Jay. And it's just not how it was. Sentiments that made this next exchange, taped at the end of January 2024, even more impactful for everyone involved. Without further ado, Renee Hightower, Jason Flom. Hello, Renee.

It looks like you're in your car. And nice to meet you. Sorry for what you're going through your family. It's awful. But hopefully, together, we can fix it. At least make it better. So, Renee's been up since before six. In the back seat, you will see Julie's eldest son, Jaden. Wave, Jaden. Awesome. And next room is Jaden's cousin, and they all made the three-hour drive

this morning at the break of dawn to visit Julie. Oh, it's so nice, except for it's not because, yeah. Yep. So, Renee, I called Jason. Jason had had dinner several weeks ago with Kathleen Zellner, and I expressed that you had reached out and that the firm had responded saying that they were not taking any more pro bono cases this year. A quick aside, pro bono work is when lawyers provide free legal services to people who can't afford them. The term comes from the Latin phrase pro bono publico, which means for the public good. Chicago-based attorney Kathleen Zellner is one of the most formidable forces in wrongful conviction advocacy. Notable clients Zellner has represented include

Stephen Avery, Kevin Fox, Ryan W. Ferguson, and 19 exonerees who were listed in the National Registry of Exonerations. Renee had already reached out to someone in her office. I kind of gave a brief story of her case, and he called me back, and he said that, unfortunately, her pro bono has maxed out, but he gave me a flat fee of $20,000 for the appeal alone, just the appeal. And he said that they did call the appellate court down here and they found out exactly where it's at and that no public defender has been assigned just yet. So they're still waiting on all the transcripts to come in. And I believe she has like 25

and she's got nine of the 25 so far. And the most important one, the trial is still not ready. A year later. Yeah. Administrative, bureaucratic nonsense. But yeah. So I don't know what Lauren, I call her LBP, told you or didn't tell you. So I spoke with Kathleen. I mean, $20,000 for Kathleen Zellner is an incredible price, obviously, but not if you don't have $20,000, obviously, then it doesn't matter. But I did talk to her.

We've recently connected and we really hit it off. I don't know how we didn't know each other before, but she's a force of nature. And she's really interested in this case, which is great. I confirmed that when I spoke to her. So I told her, look, if it's $20,000, I'll foot the bill for that because I think if anyone can get Julie out, it's her.

And I think she can and she probably will. Thank you so much. I don't even know what to say. No, I'm happy to do it. This is what we're here for. And I'm lucky to have the access to those kind of funds. So I'm excited to get started. I mean, if this would be the best deal of the century, if this is what it is and if it works, that'll be the best money ever spent.

For real. I so appreciate it so much. Thank you so much. Thank you so much. All of you. I can't even begin to say thank you enough. I swear. Well, we'll take a little of the burden off of you for a change, so that's good. And like that, in an incredible gesture of generosity and compassion, Renee Hightower and Julia Beveley had something they desperately needed since December of 2020, hope. On the next murder on Songbird Road, mines are changed. Zero chance of somebody just wandering around back here. Yeah, and unfortunately this is not the kind of neighborhood where you would have ring cameras.

No way. As knocking on doors in Marion leads to a major breakthrough. Oh, my gosh, he has tattoos. He would be identifiable. And the concept of beyond a reasonable doubt is revisited. Oh, my God. Oh, my God. That's huge.

Murder on Songbird Road is a production of iHeart Podcasts. Our executive producers are Taylor Chocoin and Lauren Bright Pacheco. Research writing and hosting by Lauren Bright Pacheco. Investigative reporting by Bob Mata and Lauren Bright Pacheco. Editing, sound design, and original music by Evan Tyre and Taylor Chocoin. 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 Lauren Bright Pacheco and email the show with thoughts, suggestions, or tips at investigatingmurderatihartmedia.com. For more I Heart podcasts, visit the I Heart Radio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you get your favorite shows. Thanks for listening. My name is Kyle Tequila, host of the shocking new true crime podcast, Crook County. I got recruited into the mob when I was 17 years old. People are dying. Is he doing this every night?

Kenny was a Chicago firefighter who lived a secret double life as a mafia hitman. I had a wife and I had two children. Nobody knew anything. He was a freaking crazy man. He was my father and I had no idea about any of this until now. Crook County is available now. Listen for free on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Welcome to the Criminalia Podcast.

I'm Maria Tremorchi. And I'm Holly Frye. Together, we invite you into the dark and winding corridors of historical true crime. Each season, we explore a new theme from poisoners to art thieves. We uncover the secrets of history's most interesting figures, from legal injustices to body snatching.

And tune in at the end of each episode as we indulge in cocktails and mocktails inspired by each story. Listen to Criminalia on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Need the latest crime news fast? Whether it's the latest developments in a high-profile case or urgent alerts about missing persons, Crime Alert Hourly Update delivers the news you need to It was big news. I mean, white girl gets murdered, found in a cemetery, big, big news. A long investigation stalls until someone changes their story. I like saw what they're gonna happen. An arrest, trial and conviction soon follow.

He did not kill her. There's no way. Is the real killer rightly behind bars or still walking free? Did you kill her. 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 three, on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.