Midlothian police released surveillance video Friday afternoon showing a person of interest in the Missy Bevers case walking through a church on Monday morning, shortly before the married mother of three was killed.
Terri "Missy" Leann Bevers, 45, was attacked inside the Creekside Church of Christ after arriving at about 4 a.m. to teach an early-morning Camp Gladiator workout class, police said.
Police released a few frames of the video Monday, noting the person's distinctive gait and mannerisms, hoping it would help identify the unknown person.
"We are just hoping that somebody will see something that piques their interest and spurs their memory, so that they may make a connection to somebody they know and provide us that tip," said Midlothian's Assistant Police Chief Kevin Johnson.
Friday afternoon, they released a longer clip showing the person walking through different parts of the church and swinging what appears to be a large hammer. Police would not say if it was the weapon used to kill Bevers, however, they indicated it was found near her body along with other tools from the church.
"Detectives would like the public to focus in on the mannerisms and distinguishing walk of the suspect," Johnson said, "Investigators believe that someone still has information or may recognize the suspect in this case."
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Police said the indoor surveillance system at the church is motion-activated and that results in different time sequences. If there was no movement captured by the camera system, the video would stop recording. Video surveillance times are approximate, police said.
Investigators first said the person in the video, who is wearing black clothing and dressed similarly to a police tactical officer, is a man. On Tuesday they backed away from that assertion and said they weren't sure of the person's gender. When asked about potential suspects, Johnson said they were considering a long list of people.
"At this point, everything is on the table. We simply don't know," he explained. "All we know is that we want to find the killer responsible, whether it was one person or two persons, three persons – male or female."
Bevers is believed to have been in the church only moments before she ran into the person in black. Her students later found her unresponsive inside the church — she was later declared dead by a Justice of the Peace. Police said in a search warrant released Thursday that Bevers had a head wound, but further details about her death have been kept secret due to the investigation.
"This case is weighing heavy on the community and our investigative team. Our thoughts and prayers remain with the Bevers family and our entire Midlothian community. We will vigorously pursue the person or persons responsible and bring them to justice," said Midlothian Police Chief Carl D. Smith.
The Midlothian Police Department continues to investigate new leads and is being assisted in the investigation by the Arlington Police Department, ATF, FBI and the Texas Rangers.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the department's tip line at 972-775-7624. Tipsters may be eligible for a cash reward and can also remain anonymous by contacting Ellis County Crime Stoppers at 972-937-PAYS (7297).
Oak Farms Dairy has offered a $10,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and grand jury indictment of the person or persons responsible.
On Friday afternoon, Kristi Stout, the victim's sister-in-law, said a fund had been established for Bevers' daughters. Anyone wishing to contribute can do so by making a donation to the Bevers Children Fund at any Citizens National Bank of Texas location.
NBC 5's Caroline Connolly contributed to this report.
