Azle

Missing woman found dead in Azle backyard was undergoing cancer treatment, sources say

The woman's suspected killer is being held on a $650,000 bond

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UPDATE: Azle Police confirmed the home where Heather Treibly's body was found did not belong to the suspect, Shane Breshers.


A Lake Worth man is being held on multiple charges, including murder after a missing woman's body was found in the backyard of a home in Azle.

An arrest affidavit stated the suspect admitted to striking the woman unconscious and placing her body in a shopping cart.

Shane Breshers is charged with tampering with or fabricating physical evidence and murder in the death of Heather Treibly, a woman who had not been seen since May 27, according to the Azle Police Department.

Azle police said they launched an investigation after receiving a missing persons report on June 1 about Trebily.

"She missed some critical appointments," said Azle Police Chief Ben Hall. "It was out of her character not to call and have conversations daily with family members."

According to Hall, police determined Treibly's last known location was Azle, and they visited a home on Ty Lane where the homeowner told NBC 5 that Treibly had been staying while she underwent cancer treatment.

The homeowner said Treibly and an acquaintance, Shane Breshers, were at the home alone during Memorial Day weekend.

"We were certainly interested in him early on," said Chief Hall. "He knew her, was one of the last people to see her."

Chief Hall stated police were given "limited access" to the home with the homeowner's consent. He also said areas around the home, including the shoreline of Eagle Mountain Lake, were searched by air.

Police in Lake Worth, where Breshers lived, made contact with him.

"He wasn't real anxious to speak with the police initially," said Chief Hall.

Chief Hall said there were no suspicions that Treibly was still on the property on Ty Lane. Then, on Wednesday, June 12, officers got a call from the homeowners.

"People at the house started smelling something and were concerned she might be concealed somewhere in the yard. It's a large yard full of debris," said Chief Hall.

After arriving at the home, police said they found an unidentified body concealed in the backyard.

Through her tattoos, investigators were able to confirm and presumably identify Treibly as the deceased person, authorities said.

"Not sure what happened that made him do this to her, but it's an awful thing," said Chief Hall.

According to the police department, Breshers was named the primary suspect, and detectives found more evidence to issue a warrant for the man's arrest.

An arrest affidavit said Breshers admitted to having a physical relationship with Treibly between May 26 and May 27 and had smoked marihuana and methamphetamine.

The document stated Breshers admitted to striking Treibly in the head with his fist. He told police she fell, was unresponsive, and didn't have a pulse.

"Breshers said that he wrapped Treibly's body in sheets from her bedroom," stated the affidavit. He said he dragged her body down the stairs, then used a shopping cart to move the body to a back corner of the property.

A home security surveillance system that police retrieved showed images of Breshers pushing a yellow shopping cart from the house toward the southeast corner of the property with a pink and purple sheet, according to the affidavit.

Police said the medical examiner reported electrical cords wrapped around Treibly's neck. When asked about it, the affidavit stated Treibly told police that "he could not remember doing anything with cords." It goes on to say he remembered seeing the cords in Trebily's bedroom.

Breshers was arrested two days after Treibly’s body was found for tampering with evidence. The following day, he was charged with murder.

Tarrant County
Shane Breshers

Booking records show Breshers is held at the Lon Evans Corrections Center with a $650,000 bond.

Anyone with information regarding the case is asked to contact the Azle Police Department at 817-444-3221

The remains of Heather Treibly were found hidden in an Azle backyard more than two weeks after she disappeared. The man accused of her murder is behind bars, and police told NBC 5's Meredith Yeomans what led to the arrest.
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